










\ 


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Adventures in Toyland. Frontispiece. 

Molly and the Marionette 



592,39 


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p vu t own Received 

; OCT 10 1900 

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SEfCNO COPY. 

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OROtH DIVISION, 

OCT 18 1900 
















Page. 

Chap. I. AFTER THE SHUTTERS WERE UP, . . . -13 

“ II. THE RABBIT AND THE MOUSE, ..... 20 

“ III. BELINDA, 57 

“ IV. THE OFFICER AND THE ELEPHANT, . . . *75 

“ V. THE LITTLE DANCER, ...... 93 

“ VI. THE HANSOM-DRIVER, I 07 

“ VII. PROUD CLARIBELLE, 1 21 

“ VIII. THE GROCER AND THE FARTHING DOLL, . . . 1 39 

“ IX. THE LAST PERFORMANCE, 1 56 


vii 




Molly and the Marionette, Frontispiece 

Page. 

Unrolling the Adventures, v 

Three Friends in Fairyland, vi 

The Farthing Doll gets a Surprise, vii 

From Noah’s Ark, vii 

Four Merry Ducklings, ix 

Birds of a Feather, xii 

A Procession from the Ark, 13 

“Molly’s astonishment was great,’’ 15 

The two Dancers, 19 

The Marionette is waiting, 20 

The Rabbit plays and the Mouse dances 21 

The Mouse collects the Money 24 


ix 


X 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Page. 

A Pair of Conspirators, 26 

“The Sentry is both brave and wicked,” 29 

The Mouse discloses its Plan, 31 

The Owl listens behind the Sentry-box, 35 

The Owl takes charge of the Drum, 37 

On their way to the Sentry-box, 39 

The Rabbit bids the Sentry Good-day, 41 

The Rabbit spreads the Gum over the Floor, 44 

The Mouse tries to look pious 49 

The Rabbit takes Vengeance 52 

Two little Tell-tales, 56 

Here the Marionette paused, 57 

Belinda shuts her Eyes, 59 

“Simplicity and Self,” 61 

The Sailor-lad tries to startle Belinda, 65 

“ Oh, Belinda, how I love you 1” 69 

Bed-time in the Ark, 74 

The Marionette in a hurry, 75 

The Two Enemies, 76 * 

“The Lady Dolls shrieked,” 79 

The Officer threatens the Elephant, 81 

“ He fell under the animal’s trunk,” 87 

“He grunted and walked slowly away,” 92 

Molly sits beside her Friend, 93 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 


xi 


Page. 

“ One day she saw the Bicycle-man,” 96 

“ A very handsome fellow,” 97 

“Something within her went — Snap!” 103 

“ Alas ! alack-a-day !” 106 

“Come, this won’t do!” 107 

“The Hansom-driver was very plain,” . .' 109 

“ The Butcher, the Baker, and the Clown,” ill 

“ My face is my fortune,” 113 

“Every time he looked in the Glass,” 115 

“Drove off as fast as he could,” 120 

“I should like to hear about her,” 121 

“Claribelle was a haughty doll,” 123 

“The Rag Doll was a pushing person,” 125 

The Driver begins to sing, 127 

“Then she swept away,” 131 

“ The Driver got up with dignity,” . 133 

“ He loved but drove away,” 133 

Proud Claribelle is penitent, 138 

“The two met as usual,” 139 

The Grocer meets the Farthing Doll 140 

“They walked away hand in hand,” 143 

“ She handed him a joint of beef,” 147 

“Supposing I said ‘Yes’ and you said ‘No,* ” 149 

“They were happy ever after,” 152 


xii 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Page. 


“Molly ran away content, ** 155 

“The little Marionette lay on the ground,” 156 

“ They had just finished their dance,” 160 

“I begin to understand — nerves,” 165 

The General rides off to the nearest chemist, 167 

The Clown dances a double-shuffle, 169 

“You are not crying, dear, are you?” 171 

“ She rocked to and fro«ilently, ” 175 

The Marionette fell asleep quite happily, 177 




A LL sorts of toys were to be found in that 
toyshop. It was truly a place to please 
any child ! A little girl, who had come 
to stay there with her aunt — the owner of the 
shop — and her little cousin, was always to be 
found amongst the toys; she was forever pick- 
ing up and admiring this one, stroking that one, 
nursing another. All her spare moments were 
spent in the shop. 

It so happened one evening that she wan- 
dered in after the shutters were put up, and 
the place was deserted. She paused before the 


14 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


spot where she was accustomed to find her fa- 
vorite doll, a little lady Marionette, who, when 
wound up, danced gayly in company with her 
partner, a very fine gentleman. 

They were both very prettily dressed. The 
little lady Marionette wore a beautiful white 
silk dress brocaded with pink roses, whilst 
her partner had on a blue velvet coat, knee 
breeches, white silk stockings, and diamond 
shoe buckles. Their clothes were really very 
grand ! 

And they danced so gayly, too. 

“Just as if they like dancing with each 
other! ” the little girl once said to her aunt. 

“You area fanciful child, Molly,” answered 
the woman, laughing. 

“All the same, I believe I am right,” replied 
the little girl. 

This evening, however, they were not to be 
found in their accustomed place. The little 
platform on which they danced was there, but 
the dolls themselves were gone ! 


The little girl 
looked round the 
shop much bewil- 
dered. 

“Where can 
they be?” she said. 

At last she saw 
the little lady Mari- 
ionette sitting on 
the right hand 
counter, with her 
back against the 
Noah’s Ark. 

“Well, how 
funny ! ” exclaimed 
the little girl aloud. 
“How havej you got 
there?” 


15 


1 6 ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 

“Walked, of course,” answered the little 
Marionette in a sweet little voice. 

The little girl’s astonishment at this reply 
was very great. So great that it kept her 
silent. 

“You seem rather surprised,” said the little 
Marionette. “ Why ?” 

“Why, I never knew you could talk!” she 
exclaimed, recovering a little from her surprise. 
“Or any other toy, either,” she added. 

“Life is full of surprises,” remarked the 
little Marionette; “especially in the toy-shop.” 

“ I wish you would tell me all about it,” said 
the little girl, becoming bolder. “If toys can 
walk and talk, why don’t children know it?” 

“ Because, although they have known many 
toys, yet they are very ignorant regarding their 
habits,” she answered. “ That is the reason. 

“At the same time,” she continued, “as it 
is, generally speaking, only when mortals are 
not present that we can move and speak freely, 
this ignorance is, perhaps, partly excusable.” 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 17 

“But how long will you be able to go on 
talking to me?” 

“That I can’t tell you. I can only say that 
our power of talking to a Mortal — a power 
which comes but once in the lifetime of every 
toy — generally lasts from a fortnight to three 
weeks.” 

The little girl clapped her hands. 

“You will be able to talk to me, then, every 
day that I am here!” she exclaimed with pleas- 
ure. “ I am only going to stay with my aunt 
and my cousin for twelve days longer.” 

She paused a moment, then added: 

“ How I should like you to tell me some 
stories of toys — a new story every day, you 
know. Couldn’t you do that?” 

The little Marionette looked doubtful. 

“Before I attempt anything of the sort, I 
shall have to consult Father Christmas — the 
well-known and much-esteemed patriarch. As 
he is the Head of our Society, I should like to 
do nothing without his advice and sanction.” 

2—Toyland 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


The little girl sighed anxiously. 

“I do hope he’ll say ‘yes’,” she said. “I 
want so much to hear stories of toys told by a 
toy.” 

“ I’ll do my best to please you,” said the lit- 
tle Marionette. “Come here at the same time 
to-morrow, — by yourself, for I can only speak 
before one Mortal at a time, — and I will see 
what I can do.” 

“Thank you,” she said gratefully. “ Please 
give my best love to Father Christmas; and 
tell him if he says ‘yes’ I will see that Auntie 
puts him at the very top of the Christmas tree.” 

She turned to go, then paused and came 
back. 

“I should just like to ask you one thing be- 
fore I go,” she said. “ Don’t you and your 
partner enjoy dancing together?” 

The pink cheeks of the little lady seemed to 
grow a little pinker. 

“Perhaps we do,” she replied. 

“I thought so,” remarked her new friend 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND . 


1 9 


with some satisfaction. “Good evening! I 
shall come again to-morrow at this same time.” 




The next evening the little girl returned to 
the Noah’s Ark, where she found the little Mar- 
ionette in the same position. 

“Well 1” she said eagerly. 

“ I have consulted Father Christmas,” an- 
swered the little Marionette. “ He is of the 
opinion that I may, without harm, tell you tales 
of some of the toys. You shall therefore hear 
the most interesting stories I can remember.” 

“That will be very nice,” said the little girl. 
“ Will you begin at once ?” 

“At once,” she agreed, and began the story of 
“The Rabbit and the Mouse” 


20 



The white Rabbit and the brown Mouse 
were both talented, though in different ways. 
The Rabbit’s talent showed itself in the pre- 
cision and vigor with which he could beat a 
drum as he sat on his hind-legs; the Mouse in 
the swiftness and grace with which he could 
speed to and fro upon the counter. 

Talking over the matter, they arrived at the 
conclusion that if they went up and down the 
counter together as a traveling-show they might 

21 


22 


AD VENTURES IN TO VIAND. 


turn a very pretty penny. The Rabbit was to 
display his musical talent, whilst the Mouse 
was to exhibit his powers of graceful move- 
ment. 

The profits were to be equally divided. 
Such, at least, was the arrangement as under- 
stood; but it was not a written agreement, 
which was a great mistake. 

The reason, however, that the two partners 
omitted to be more business-like was this : the 
Rabbit trusted the Mouse, and the Mouse 
hoped to cheat the Rabbit. Not that anything 
of the sort was openly expressed, but each 
was quite well aware of his own view of the 
matter. 

The two started off upon the most amiable 
terms, stopping at such places as they thought 
most likely to prove profitable : in front of the 
dolls’ houses ; before the race-courses ; by the 
shops. Then the Rabbit would announce 
loudly : 

“ / am a rare-bit from Wales , and the 


THE RABBIT AND THE MOUSE. 23 

Mouse is a tit-bit from Ireland. JVe charge 
no fees for performing ; but trust to your kind 
generosity I 

After this the Rabbit played the drum with 
great energy, whilst the Mouse ran up and 
down in the most nimble manner. 

It was probably owing to a report which 
got abroad, to the effect that the performers 
were noble strangers, working in the cause of 
charity, that the success of the pair was so 
great. It was, indeed, wonderful, and in a 
short time the two had gained quite a little 
fortune. 

It was the Mouse who collected the money. 
For purposes of his own, he persuaded the 
Rabbit to let him always take upon himself 
this duty. And his companion, who was 
rather stiff in the joints after sitting perfectly 
still upon his hind-legs for the length of time 
he was obliged to, was quite willing to let the - 
Mouse do as he wished. 

Not that he would have been willing to had 


24 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


he known the real facts of the case. For as 
you will understand by what I have said, the 
Mouse was acting towards him in the most 



dishonest fashion, in spite of his many fair 
words and speeches. 

It was in this way that he plotted against 
his friend: As soon as a certain sum of money 
had been collected, the Mouse always suggested 
that he should go and invest it. To this the 
Rabbit never made any objection, having great 


THE RABBIT AND THE MOUSE. 25 

faith in the Mouse as an animal with a good 
business head. 

When the little rascal returned after a long 
absence, he had always a fine story to tell of 
the cleverness with which he had laid out the 
money, and of the fortune which would shortly 
be coming in. This was perfectly untrue. 
The Mouse was not investing a penny. On 
the contrary, he was hoarding it all up, and 
for his own benefit. 

There was a certain Horse who lived some 
little way off in a luxurious stable. Here the 
Mouse was minded to pass his last years, so 
soon as he had made a sufficiently large for- 
tune, or unless chance removed him from the 
toy-shop. But in order to carry out his plan, 
he would have to pay the Horse a large sum 
for the right of sharehold — since it was his stall 
he wished to share, — and also to get the warm, 
cosy corner he especially desired. 

The Horse himself was not the noble creat- 
ure nature had intended him to be. He was 


2 6 


AD VENTURES IN TOYLAND . 


to the full as greedy as the Mouse, and was 
indeed his helper in the plot. It was to the 
Horse the little swindler always ran when he 



pretended that he was going to invest the 
money, and it was in his stall that it was hid- 
den. By the end of the half-year the Horse 
and the Mouse calculated that they would have 


THE RABBIT AND THE MOUSE. 27 

sufficient money to carry out their design; 
when they intended to add further to their 
wickedness by causing the Rabbit to be killed, 
in order to prevent his asking any tiresome 
questions. 

Now, as the time drew near when the 
money, had it been invested, should have 
brought in some returns, the Rabbit began to 
talk of what he intended doing with his share. 

“ I think,” said he, “ after I have supplied 
my own wants, I shall found a drum-scholar- 
ship for Musical Rabbits for he was a creature 
of a kind and generous nature, and truly de- 
voted to the cause of art. 

“A most excellent notion,” said the Mouse. 
“ I shall follow your good example, and found 
a scholarship for the encouragement of har- 
monious squeaking amongst Mice. One can- 
not do too much to encourage the love of music 
amongst all classes.” 

“ When will our first dividends be paid ?” 
asked the Rabbit. 


28 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


“The money ought to have been paid 
already,” answered the little scamp, “ but busi- 
ness is very bad just at present. I would 
explain the matter to you, but I doubt you 
would not understand all the details.” 

“Very good; I will not trouble you,” an- 
swered his companion easily. “ I have perfect 
faith in your judgment, and will leave all to 
you.” 

Yet from time to time, as was natural, he 
still made inquiries, which the Mouse began to 
find troublesome. He therefore consulted with 
his wicked friend the Horse, and they resolved 
that, as the half-year was approaching, and they 
had got sufficient money for what they wanted, 
it was better to delay the carrying out of their 
plot no longer, but to kill the Rabbit as soon 
as it could be managed — indeed that very day. 

“To whom shall we intrust the deed?” 
asked the Horse. “ There would be too great 
a risk for either of us to undertake it, I fear. If 
we were discovered there would at once be an 


THE RABBIT AND THE MOUSE . 


29 


end of all our plans. 
Our money would be 
taken, and possibly 
our lives also.” 

The Mouse con- 
sidered for a moment, 
then he said : 

“ I think I know the 
very fellow for the job. 
There is the Sentry 
who always stands in 
his wooden box. He 
is a chap who will do 
anything to vary the 
dulness of his life and 
earn a little money. 
He told me so the other 
day. He is both brave 
and wicked. Let him 
him do the deed.” 

“ Very well,” re- 
plied the Horse ; “ I 




30 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND . 


think your idea is good. Will you arrange 
the matter so that it be carried out without 
any mistake ? ” 

“ Leave it to me,” replied the other. “ You 
need not disturb yourself. The days of the 
Rabbit are numbered.” 

“Good!” neighed the Horse; “and the 
quantity of my corn, oats, — besides carrots, 
apples, and other luxuries, — will be beyond 
number. We’ll at once open an account with 
the fruiterer and corn-dealer.” 

“ Also the cheese-monger,” said the Mouse. 
“ Well, I must go ; there is not a moment to 
be lost if we wish to carry out our plan.” 
Then he hurried off to the Sentry. 

“ Sentry,” said he, “ are you prepared to 
run some risk for the sake of money?” 

“ For the sake of money I’m prepared to 
do anything,” said the wicked fellow. 

“ Then listen,” said the Mouse. “ There 
is a sum of money that, strictly speaking, 
ought to be divided between the Rabbit 


THE RABBIT AND THE MOUSE. 


3i 


and myself, 
be that I 
should have 
it all. But that 
is a little diffi- 
cult so long as 
he is alive. So 
I come to you 
to ask you if 
you will kill 
him, provided 
I fill your 
knapsack with 
gold.” 

“Upon that 
condition, 
yes,” said the 
ruffian. “But 
don’t attempt 
to break it, or 
I shall put 
an end to you 


But the best way appears to 



* : a 


as well as your friend.’ 


32 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


“ Never fear. Rest assured you shall have 
it,” said the Mouse. 

“Now for the details of the plot,” he con- 
tinued. “I am going to propose to the Rabbit 
a private performance in front of your sentry- 
box. I shall say I have suggested it in order 
to vary the terrible dulness of your existence. 
Having finished our performance I shall lead 
the way straight forward, with our backs towards 
you. When we have gone a few steps I shall 
remark loudly, * That Sentry friend of ours is a 
smart chap ; he knows how to handle the bay- 
onet ’. This is to be the signal for you to step 
quietly out of your box, and, pretending to 
stumble, stab the Rabbit in the back with your 
bayonet. This should be quite easy, for he is 
sure to be walking away on his hind-legs. He 
has fallen into that habit since he has taken to 
playing the drum. You and I will, of course, 
exhibit much grief, and declare that his death 
was an unfortunate accident. You see the plan 
offers no difficulty.” 


THE RABBIT AND THE MOUSE. 33 

“Then if the plan offers no difficulty, / 
won’t,” said the Sentry, with a cold-blooded 
laugh. “When is it to be carried out?” 

“This very day, in about two hours’ time,” 
replied the Mouse. “Well, good-bye for the 
present, I think it is all very nicely arranged;” 
and he nimbly scurried back to tell the Horse 
that the Rabbit was to be killed by the Sentry ; 
which he did with the utmost glee. 

Perhaps, however, his glee would not have 
been so great had he known that whilst he was 
giving his account of what had occurred to the 
Horse, his wicked plan was at the same time 
being told to the intended victim ! 

This is how such a strange thing happened. 

Whilst the Mouse and the Sentry were 
talking, they had forgotten that the Owl’s usual 
position was just behind the sentry-box. Or, 
if they thought of it at all, they gave no heed 
to the fact, being aware that the Owl was 
accustomed to sleep during the whole of the day. 

It so happened, however, that at the very 

3 —Toy land 


34 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


moment the Mouse began his conversation 
with the Sentry, the Owl awakened with a start 
from a bad daymare, and all but hooted with 
fright. Growing calm as he became wider 
awake, he was going off to sleep again, — when 
the name of the Rabbit caught his ear. Being 
well acquainted with both him and the Mouse, 
whose squeaking voice he recognized, — the 
Owl listened to what was being said, at first 
with drowsy then with startled attention. 

He only waited until he had learned all the 
details of the vile plot, and then, overcoming, 
in the cause of friendship, every desire to close 
his heavy eyes, he stole away, and imparted 
his startling news to the astonished Rabbit. 

“ Impossible /” exclaimed his hearer, letting 
his drum-stick fall with a crash upon the instru- 
ment he had been industriously practising. “I 
would as soon doubt my own honor as that of 
the little Mouse — my friend and companion 
through weal and woe. Impossible ! You must 
have dreamt it, or invented it.” 


THE RABBIT AND THE MOUSE. 


35 


“Don’t be so hasty in your judgment/’ re- 



36 ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 

invented it. If you doubt me go without delay 
to the brown Horse’s stable, where you will 
find the Mouse at this present moment talking 
with his wicked companion. I will wait here 
until you return, in case I may be needed to 
help you in your difficulty.” 

“Many thanks,” said the Rabbit, and leav- 
ing his drum in charge of the Owl he hurried 
away. 

But a short time passed, and then he re- 
turned with a look of horror and dismay. 

“ All you have told me is but too true,” he 
exclaimed. “Let me tender you my most 
sincere apologies for having doubted your 
word. Unseen by my faithless friend, I listened 
to his conversation with the Horse, and over- 
heard more than enough to convince me of the 
truth of your story. 

“ Yet who,” he continued sorrowfully, “ who 
could have believed it of that little Mouse? 
Who would have imagined so great an amount 
of deceit dwelt in so small a body ?” 


THE RABBIT AND THE MOUSE. 


37 


Then he recovered his spirit. “ I will baulk 
him yet!” he exclaimed, his pinkeyes flashing, 



and his white fur bristling with excitement. 

“ How can I help you?” asked the Owl. “ I 
will endeavor to keep awake as long as I am 
wanted.” 

“Wait a moment,” answeied the Rabbit, 


3 « 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


and then he beat a tattoo thoughtfully on his 
drum. “ I think I have arrived at a conclu- 
sion,” he said presently. “ I will meet their 
dastardly plot by a counter-plot. I do not 
expect the Mouse back for another half-hour ; 
he told me he should be busy till half-past 
twelve putting away our recent earnings. This 
will just give us time to do what I wish. 

“ Here is my plot,” he continued. “ Having 
procured a bottle of gum we will go to the sen- 
try-box, at the back of which you will take up 
your position. I will tell the Sentry you have 
been telling me a most comical little dream you 
have had — the one, indeed, you told me of late. 
He is a great fellow for good stories, and will 
certainly hurry off to hear it. 

“Whilst he is away I will spread the bottom 
of the sentry-box with gum. When, on his 
return, he steps into the box, I shall keep him 
still, and give the gum time to take effect, by 
offering him a bet of a gold piece that he will 
not stand perfectly motionless whilst I go home 


THE RABBIT AND THE MOUSE. 


39 


and back. He is very fond of a bet, and is 
sure to accept it. Leaving you to see that he 
acts fairly, I shall go and meet the Mouse, re- 
turning here for the performance 
which is to be suggested. 

“That, however, I shall cut 
short, having no desire to waste 
my talent on 
a villain like 
the Sentry. I 
shall turn 



away with the Mouse, who, on giving the 
signal agreed upon, will, to his amazement, 
find that it is followed by no result. For by 
that time the Sentry will be gummed so 


40 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND . 


tightly to the floor of his sentry-box that he 
will not be able to move an inch. 

“ Having enjoyed the sight of their con- 
fusion I shall punish them, biting off the head 
of the Mouse — for whose deceit no punishment 
can be too severe, — and beating the Sentry 
about the head until he can’t see out of his 
eyes. Nor shall the Horse escape my ven- 
geance. I shall creep into his stall, and sud- 
denly, and with a precise aim, throw a piece of 
gold at the pupils of his wicked eyes. Thus he 
will be totally blinded by the gold he has 
wrongfully helped to keep. A most fit and 
proper punishment.” 

“Your plans are well and thoughtfully 
worked out,” said the Owl, blinking his eyes. 

“To business, then,” remarked the Rabbit; 
and the two having first procured the gum took 
their way to the sentry-box; the Rabbit stroll- 
ing thither on his hind-legs to avoid any ap- 
pearance of alarm or haste, the Owl hopping by 
his side with a certain grave and sleepy dignity. 


THE RABBIT AND THE MOUSE. 


4i 


Arrived at the sentry-box, the Owl placed 
hitnself behind it, whilst the Rabbit, concealing 



the bottle of gum under his drum, went to the 
front and bid the Sentry “ good-day.” 


42 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


“Good-day,” said the Sentry. “What are 
you grinning at?” For the Rabbit was smil- 
from ear to ear. 

“ Nothing of much consequence,” he re- 
plied. “ Merely a most comical little dream 
that the Owl — who happens for a wonder to be 
awake — has been telling me. It made me die 
of laughter.” 

“ Pass it on,” said the Sentry. 

“ I shouldn’t think of doing that,” replied 
the Rabbit. “ I don’t approve of telling 
people’s own particular little stories ; they 
prefer the fun of relating them themselves. 
Look here, you go round for a moment or two 
and get him to let you hear it before he drops 
asleep again. It is an occasion to seize, for he 
is hardly ever awake when other people are, 
and he tells a story better than anyone else I 
know.” 

“ Well, I rather think I will,” answered the 
Sentry. “ I’m very fond of a good story. 
You take my place whilst I’m away, there’s a 


THE RABBIT AND THE MOUSE. 


43 


good fellow. Here, put down your drum and 
take my bayonet.” 

“Very good,” answered the Rabbit, and 
the Sentry hurried off. 

The moment he had turned the corner the 
Rabbit set to work and spread gum all over 
the floor of the sentry-box. Then, standing 
outside, he took up the bayonet and mounted 
guard, first carefully hiding the tell-tale bottle 
behind a box of bricks. By and by the Sentry 
returned. 

“ Well, it was not a very good story after 
all,” he said rudely. “ Thank you for nothing. 
Why aren’t you in the sentry-box ? I am 
inclined to bayonet you for breaking your 
word.” 

“ I should not have been able to move 
about sufficiently,” the Rabbit answered. “ I 
should have suffered from cramp.” 

“Stuff and nonsense I” the Sentry replied. 
“ I stand in it for hours at a time.” 

“But not without moving?” asked the 


44 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


Rabbit, with an air of disbelief. “Without 



stirring an eighth of an inch,” the Sentry said. 


THE RABBIT AND THE MOUSE . 


45 


“I don’t believe it,” replied the Rabbit. “I 
challenge you to keep perfectly still for any 
length of time. I bet you a gold piece you 
won’t stand motionless whilst I run home and 
back again.” 

“Done!” said the Sentry, and straightway 
stepped into his box. 

“This sentry-box gets slimy and dirty,” he 
said, without the least idea of what the Rabbit 
had done. “ It is quite sticky with dirt. It 
wouldn’t be a bad thing if you were to clean it 
out for me some day.” 

“I’ll see,” answered the other carelessly, 
fearing to be either too polite or too rude lest 
he should arouse any suspicions in the Sentry’s 
mind. “ I don’t generally care to do other 
people’s dirty work, but I may do that some 
day when I am not busy. You serve your 
country, so you deserve a little help.” 

“If you don’t do it willingly, you shall do it 
unwillingly,” he blustered. “If / serve my 
country, you must serve me.” 


46 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


“There’s plenty of time to think it over,” 
answered the Rabbit. “ In the meanwhile, 
you can’t stir even to have it cleaned or you 
lose your bet. I’m off. But wait I must call 
the Owl to be a witness that you keep strictly 
to the terms we have agreed upon.” 

Then, having called the Owl and stated the 
terms of the bet, the Rabbit went home. 

Here he awaited the arrival of the Mouse, 
who presently returned, full of pretended sym- 
pathy for the dulness of the Sentry’s life. 

“ He told me to-day,” said the little rascal, 
“that the dulness of his life was killing him. 
It struck me that it would be really an act of 
charity on our part to give him a little perfor- 
mance, and let him fully understand we expect 
no money for it. I hinted at something of the 
sort to him, and the poor fellow’s face lighted 
up in a way that was quite touching. Suppose 
we go his way now as we have a little spare 
time.” 

“I’m quite willing to,” replied the Rabbit. 


THE UABBTT AND THE MOUSE. 


47 


“But I’ve just come from him, and he never 
complained of dulness to me. In fact, he was 
in quite good enough spirits to have a bet with 
me on the subject of his being able to stand 
motionless for a certain time.” 

“Oh, he did that to try and kill care, no 
doubt,” answered the Mouse. “ I know him 
well, though he is a reserved chap and opens 
out his heart to few. Come on.” 

Now by the time the Rabbit and the Mouse 
returned to the sentry-box, the gum had had 
time to get well dried, so that the Sentry was 
firmly fixed in his box. Nevertheless, there 
was still the danger that he might attempt to 
move, and so find out too soon the trick that 
had been played upon him. To avert this, 
directly the Rabbit came back again he lost no 
time in remarking to the Sentry: 

“Yes, I acknowledge you have won the 
bet. But you have only just managed to do 
so; you are looking quite tired out. Another 
five minutes or less, and you would have 


48 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


been unable to stand still a moment longer.” 

“Double or quits!” cried the Sentry. 
“For another gold piece, I’ll engage to keep 
still for the time you mention. If I fail to do 
so, of course you don’t pay me anything.” 

“Agreed,” said the Rabbit. 

“ Oh, friends,” exclaimed the Mouse, sha- 
king his head, “ do not give way to this habit! 
It is, indeed, a sad, bad one ” 

This he merely said to impress the Owl (on 
whom he had not counted as a spectator) with 
a sense of his moral worth. He hoped by 
this means to counteract any after suspicions 
that might arise in the good bird’s mind. 

“ As to that,” said the Sentry, who was 
generally rude whether he was addressing 
friend or foe, “ it is my own concern whether 
I bet or not. You had better not trouble 
yourself with my affairs, but if you really 
mean to give me one of your performances 
you would do well to begin.” 

“Just as you will,” the Mouse said. “But 


THE RABBIT AND THE MOUSE. 


49 



I can’t help taking an interest in the welfare of 
those with whom I have to do.” Then ad- 
dressing the Rab- 
bit: “Dear friend,” 
he said smoothly, 
“will you open 
with your famous 
reverie , ‘ Dream - 

ings of a Drum,’ 
whilst I perform 
my pas de quatre , 
‘Twirlings of the 
Toes?’” 


“Very good,” agreed the Rabbit. 

And the two performers began. But in a 
few moments the Rabbit stopped. 

“I cannot continue,” he said. “I am 

4 — Toy land 


50 


AD VENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


suffering from cramp in the muscles of my 
drum-legs, ,, 

“ Dear ! What a pity ! ” exclaimed the 
Mouse. “ Come for a walk and brace your- 
self up.” 

“ All right!” answered the Rabbit. “We’ll 
go and fetch the gold pieces which I must 
give this fellow.” 

“ Can’t you give me something at once?” 
asked the Sentry, who did not, in his greed of 
gold, wish to lose the chance of getting all he 
could. 

“ I’ve nothing with me,” replied the Rab- 
bit. And so saying he followed the Mouse, 
who with his back towards the Sentry had 
already moved away. 

They had hardly gone more than half a 
dozen steps when the Mouse said suddenly 
and loudly: “ That Sentry friend of ours is a 
smart chap; he knows how to handle the 
bayonets 

“You are right,” answered the Rabbit, and 


THE RABBIT AND THE MOUSE. 51 

walked on, the Mouse doing the same, though 
with lagging steps. 

Presently a look of anger and wonder crept 
into his eyes, remarking which the Rabbit 
laughed. 

“What are you laughing at?” asked the 
Mouse uneasily. 

“At nothing particular,” answered his com- 
panion. “Cheerfulness, you know, is a habit 
of the mind.” 

At this moment a loud groan burst from 
the Sentry, who during this time had been 
struggling to get free, and in a last frantic 
effort, had just succeeded in giving a most 
painful rick to his back. 

“Our Sentry friend does not look happy,” 
said the Rabbit grimly. 

“ He is not well, I suppose,” answered the 
Mouse nervously. “What has happened, I 
wonder?” 

“All is discovered 1” exclaimed the Rab- 
bit loudly. 


5 2 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


Then as the Mouse made a desperate effort 
to run away, the Rabbit dealt him a blow on 
the back which injured the clockwork within 



his body and quite put a stop to his flight. 

“I know all!” the Rabbit said sternly. 
“You are a little villain! What defence can 
you offer for so grossly deceiving me?” 

But the Mouse made no reply. In a fury 
of disappointment and fear he was biting the 


THE RABBIT AND THE MOUSE. 53 

Rabbit’s legs, hoping thus to disable him and 
prevent his punishing the treachery that had 
been brought to light. 

“Desist!” cried the Rabbit, “or I shall end 
your life without delay. I repeat, What ex- 
cuse can you offer for having so wickedly 
broken the terms of our agreement? You have 
tried to rob me of my life and my money. 
Make your defence.” 

“There was no written agreement,” an- 
swered the Mouse shamelessly. “Each was 
at liberty to understand it in his own way.” 

“Most wicked of animals, you are not fit to 
live,” cried the Rabbit with disgust. “Your 
moments are numbered.” 

Then before the Mouse could offer any 
protest, the Rabbit bit his head right off and 
swallowed it. 

“You will observe,” said the Rabbit to the 
Owl with dignity, “that I still maintain my 
proper position in the eyes of the world as a 
Welsh rare-bit, but the Mouse, owing to his 


54 ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 

misdeeds, is now in the contemptible state 
of the biter bit. Such is the end of the 
wicked. 

“As for you,” he continued to the Sentry, 
who, with his boastful spirit crushed, stood 
trembling in the Sentry-box; as for you, you 
have seen too much of the world and its ways. 
It would be better for you to see a little less of 
it for a time.” 

Then, according to his intention, the Rab- 
bit beat the Sentry about the head until he 
could not see out of his eyes. 

“ It now only remains to deal with the 
Horse. I go to give him the due reward of 
his deeds,” the Rabbit remarked, taking up 
his drum and preparing to leave. But pausing 
a moment he added to the Owl : “ With regard 
to you, my good friend, if ever an opportunity 
arises by which I can show you my gratitude 
for your kind services, rest assured that I shall 
eagerly avail myself of it.” 


THE RABBIT AND THE MOUSE. 55 

Now, the next morning the woman who 
keeps this shop spoke severely to her own little 
girl. 

“You have been touching the toys and 
damaging them,” she said with anger. “See 
what mischief you have done! You have 
knocked off the head of this mouse — and, what 
is more, I can’t find it anywhere, — you have 
rubbed all the paint off this sentry’s face, and 
you have broken the glass eyes of this brown 
horse. You shall be punished.” 

The little girl began to whimper. 

“I have not hurt the toys,” she said. “I 
have never touched them since you put me to 
bed for breaking the baby doll.” 

The woman looked puzzled : “ If you say 
you haven’t, you haven’t, I suppose,” she said, 
“for I know you are a truthful child. Then 
how has it happened ? I shouldn’t think any 
customer would do it without my noticing. 
I can’t understand it,” 


5 $ 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


Nor can she to this day. But we can: you, 
the Rabbit, the Owl, the Sentry, the Horse, 
and myself. But not the Mouse, for he has 
lost his head. 




Here the little Marionette paused. 

“ That is all,” she said. 

“ What a good thing that the Mouse had 
his head bitten off,” said the little girl thought- 
fully. 

“ It was just as well,” the Marionette 
answered, “since he could use it to no better 
purpose.” 

“ Some of the toys were very wicked in 
that story, I think; dreadfully wicked.” 

“ I think the same. They were bad, wicked 
toys, with bad, wicked ways.” 


57 


5 » 


Adventures in ToylaND. 


“Are many of the toys you know as wicked 
as that?” asked Molly. 

“Oh, dear no!” said the little Marionette, 
quite shocked. “Most of my friends and 
acquaintances are really wonderfully well- * 
behaved.” 

“ Do you know, I should like you next 
time to tell me about one of them.” 

“About some one simple, perhaps?” 

“Yes, I think so.” 

The little Marionette thought a moment. 

Then she said : “I know of no one more 
simple than Belinda.” 

“Tell me about her, if you please.” 

“Very good. You shall hear of Belinda 
and her simplicity.” 

So the next day she told her friend the 
story of 


“ Belinda; 



Belinda was a little wax doll who had a 
most charming way of opening and shutting 
her eyes. When Mortals were about, she 
could not do it unless they helped by pulling a 
wire. But when once the shop was closed, 
and the toys, left to themselves, could move at 
pleasure, then Belinda pulled her own wires 
and opened and shut her eyes as she pleased. 
She did this in so simple and unaffected a 
fashion that it delighted everyone to see her. 

“What simplicity! what delightful sim- 
plicity !” said the other toys. “'Tis really 
charming !” 


59 


6o 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND . 


“ Singularly simple,” repeated the Butcher, 
who always stood at the door of his shop, 
watching for the customers that so seldom 
came. “She is like an innocent lamb,” he 
added, his thoughts turning to his trade; “a 
simple, harmless lamb.” 

“ Elle est tres gentille, la petite Belinde ,” 
remarked Mademoiselle Cerise, the French doll 
just arrived from Paris. “ Elle est une jeune 
ft lie fort bien elevee ; elle ferme les yeux d'une 
fagon vraiment ravissante .” 

“Here we are again, Simplicity and Self!” 
said the Clown, turning a somersault and 
landing by Belinda’s side with a broad grin 
upon his face. 

She made no reply, but instantly closed her 
eyes. She was not quite sure but that he was 
laughing at her, so she thought it more prudent 
not to see him. 

“There! did you notice?” . . . “Wasn’t it 
pretty and simple?” said all the Toys to one 
another as they looked at Belinda. 


BELINDA. 


61 

I must, however, make an exception when 
I say “all” the Toys. There was one who did 
not utter a word. This was Jack, the curly- 



headed Sailor-Boy, who was deeply in love 
with Belinda. He was so unhappy about the 
matter that he feared to speak of her lest in so 
doing the thought of his sorrow should make 
him shed unmanly tears in public. 


62 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


I will tell you the cause of his grief. He 
could not make her see how much he loved her. 
Whenever he came near her she immediately 
closed her eyes. So that it did not matter what 
expression he assumed, it was all wasted on 
Belinda. He worried himself about it very 
much. 

“Is it”, said he to himself, “because she 
doesn’t happen to see, or because she doesn’t 
wish to see? How can I make her open her 
eyes? Shall I speak to her coldly or gently, 
with mirth or with melancholy, in poetry or in 
prose?” 

“I will be poetical,” he resolved; “I will 
sing her a song of love. That may induce her 
to open her eyes.” 

Now Jack was only a simple Sailor- Lad; 
he knew little music and less poetry. A few 
sea-songs and one or two little ballads, these 
were all he had to trust to, and he could think 
of none that seemed suitable to the occasion. 
He thought long, and finally remembered 


BELINDA. 


63 


the beginning of an old song which, with a 
little alteration, would, he decided, do very 
well. So, in a rough but tender voice, he thus 
sang to his lady-love: — 


“ Of all the girls I love so well, 

There’s none I love like ’Linder; 
She is the darling of my heart, — 
And Linder rhymes with cinder.” 


“ This,” he said to himself, “will teach her 
how deep and how true my love is for her. 
This should open her eyes.” 

But Belinda, quite unmoved, sat with them 
tightly closed. 

“I will try again,” he said to himself. And 
he sang the verse once more, though this time 
his voice shook so greatly with emotion that 
he was obliged to stop in the middle in order 
to steady it. 

After this he sat silent, hoping that Belinda 
would even now open her eyes. 


64 ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 

“Then,” said he, “she will see how sad I 
look, and she will surely be touched.” 

But disappointment was again his lot She 
never opened even half an eye. 

“Shiver my timbers!” said the luckless 
Sailor-Lad, “she’ll be the death of me.” 

And he went away mournfully whistling 
“ The Death of Nelson .” 

Then he tried to startle her by suddenly 
shouting within her hearing a few seafaring 
expressions he knew. “ Hard-a-portI Lay 
aft! Yo, heave ho !” 

She half-opened her eyes, but immediately 
closed them again. “Those expressions sound 
a little rough,” she remarked. 

He felt sorely tried. 

“None so blind as those who won't see, 
my lass,” he said one day. 

“ I should have thought,” she answered 
with unaffected surprise, “it was those who 
can t see.” 

“Have you looked up through the sky- 


BELINDA. 


65 


light this afternoon?” he asked. “The sun- 
set is glorious.” 

“ Describe it to me. I love descriptions,” 
she said with simple enthusiasm. 



“You had better see it for yourself,” he said 
crossly and turned away. He felt so wretched 
that really he would have liked to go to sea. 

5 —Toy land 


66 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


He sighed again, — and looked back at 
Belinda. Why, her eyes were open! He 
hurried over to her, pinching with great 
energy his arm as he went, in order to make 
himself tearful, and thus, if possible, appear 
more miserable than he already did. The 
tears did come, but just as he got to Belinda 
she closed her eyes once more. 

“The sunset is indeed perfect,” she said, “I 
have been watching it till my eyes ache, and 
I cannot keep them open any longer.” 

“I look just as if I had a cold in my head. 
You can see that for yourself, can’t you?” he 
asked, hoping that this question would induce 
her to glance at him and observe his tears. 

“Why, no,” she answered, “I can’t be- 
cause my eyes are closed. But if you say so, 
I suppose you must be correct.” 

“Belinda, I love you,” said he. 

“Thank you very much,” answered she. 
“Isn’t it extraordinary weather for this time of 


BELINDA. 


67 


the year? I can hardly believe that we are in 
the middle of summer.” 

Poor Jack left in despair, and this time he 
whistled a funeral march. 

But like a true-hearted sailor, he resolved 
to try again. So the next day he said to her: 

“ Belinda, I’m afraid we are going to have 
heavy weather, there are so many clouds over- 
head. Look up out of the sky-light and you 
will see for yourself.” 

“I would rather not,” she said, keeping her 
eyes tightly closed. “I don’t like seeing 
clouds; it depresses my spirits.” 

“You can look out of the sky-light now” 
he said to her later, “without being afraid of 
seeing the clouds. They have all cleared 
away and it is blue again.” 

“Then I can enjoy my afternoon nap,” she 
remarked simply, “without fear of thunder.” 

And on this occasion the poor curly-headed 
Sailor felt too miserable even to attempt 
whistling; he went away in dumb despair! 


68 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


It was just about this time that Mademoi- 
selle Cerise was bought by a lady as a present 
for her little god-daughter. 

“But the color of the doll’s dress has 
become faded,” said the lady. “She must 
have a new one before I take her.” 

“That can easily be arranged in a day,” 
said the owner of the shop. 

“Very well,” answered the lady, “then I 
will buy her. You need not send her. I will 
bring my little friend with me to-morrow 
afternoon when we shall be passing your shop. 
She will like to carry her new doll through the 
streets.” 

Next morning when Mademoiselle Cerise 
was brought back to the shop after having 
been absent since the previous afternoon, the 
Sailor- Lad was struck by something very 
familiar about the appearance of her new blue 
muslin dress. At first he could not think why. 
Then he understood; the muslin was — so it 
seemed to him — of exactly the same pattern 


BELINDA. 


69 


and exactly the same color as Belinda’s dress. 



As he realized this a sudden thought struck 
him, upon which he acted without delay. 


7 ° 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND . 


Coming up to Belinda softly, who was 
sitting with her eyes closed, he exclaimed 
loudly and suddenly in her ear: “Belinda, 
Belinda! Mademoiselle Cerise has on a dress 
precisely like yours ! ” 

“No!” she said, and opened her eyes in a 
moment. She gazed around anxiously for 
Mademoiselle Cerise, but the Sailor-Boy 
placed himself right before her and looked at 
her as adoringly as he knew how. 

“Oh, Belinda,” he said, “how I love you!” 

“Do you?” said she with great surprise. 
“Well, you don’t love me more than I love 
you.” 

“You make me very happy, my lass,” said 
he. “But why are you astonished at my say- 
ing I love you? Have I not told you so 
before ?” 

“I thought you were quizzing,” she ans- 
wered. 

“ The sad expression of my face should 
have told you I was not quizzing,” he replied. 


BELINDA. 


71 


‘‘How could I tell what your expression 
was when I never saw it?” she asked with 
some reproach. 

“You did not see it because you always 
closed your eyes when I spoke to you,” he 
replied. “ What made you do that?” 

Belinda thought a moment. 

“It was merely a habit I had fallen into,” 
said she. 

“You should never become a slave to a 
habit,” replied the curly-headed Sailor-Lad. 
He spoke reprovingly, as he thought of his 
many heart-aches. 

She did not like to be reproved, so she 
changed the subject. 

“You made a mistake,” she said. “Made- 
moiselle Cerise's dress is very pretty, but it is 
not precisely like mine; the pattern is larger 
and a little louder, and the color is lighter and 
a little harsher.” 

“Well, perhaps,” said the Sailor- Lad. He 


72 ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND . 

spoke very cheerful now, he felt in such good 
spirits. 


44 1 am very glad that the Sailor-Boy was 
happy at last,” said the little girl. 44 I was 
afraid Belinda never meant to open her 
eyes.” 

"It certainly looked like it at one time,” an- 
swered the little Marionette. "However, it 
was all right in the end, for she opened them 
in time to prevent her Sailor-Boy’s heart from 
breaking.” 

"I wonder why she kept them closed so 
long.” 

“ I wonder,” reflected the little Marionette. 
And she smiled. 

“ Force of habit, I suppose, as she herself 
said,” she remarked after a pause. “We all 
have our little ways. Now what sort of story 
would you like to-morrow ? ” 

The little girl thought deeply for a few 


BELINDA. 


73 


moments. Then she said: “You have told me 
a story about a sailor, so I should like the next 
one to be about a soldier.” 

“A soldier — a soldier — ” the Marionette an- 
swered. “I don’t think I know one about a 
soldier — Yes, stay; there is the story of the 
Officer and the Elephant. That is about a sol- 
dier.” 

“An Officer and an Elephant! How nice ! ” 
exclaimed the little girl eagerly. “ I am quite 
certain it must be very funny.” 

“ I don’t think the Officer found it so,” the 
little lady replied, giving a sweet, little tinkling 
laugh. 

“Didn’t he?” asked her listener with much 
interest. 

“ I wish you would tell me all about it now,” 
she continued; “I want so much to hear it.” 

“Not now,” replied the little Marionette, “it 
is getting too late ; all the animals in the Noah’s 
Ark are fast asleep. Listen, they are snoring 


74 


A D VENT URES IN TO YLAND. 


loudly. Come to-morrow at the same time. 
Be punctual, for the story is a long one.” 

“Yes, I will,” promised the little girl. 




The next day she was as good as her word, 
arriving to the very minute. It was the little 
Marionette who was not in time. It was quite 
five minutes before she tripped up the counter 
and greeted her little friend. The little girl 
looked at her with some reproach. 

“It is you who are late, not I, ” she said. 

“Is it?” replied the little Marionette. 
“Well, I am ashamed. However, here I am 
now, so I will begin at once to tell you my tale.” 

And settling herself down, and smoothing 
out her beautiful brocade dress, she began 
without further ado, the story of: 

“The Officer and the Elephant.” 

75 



Amongst all the Toys in the toy-shop, none 
were so disliked and feared as the twelve 
Wooden Soldiers who, with an imposing 
Officer at their head, proudly faced the world 
in double file. 

In the first place, they were intensely proud 
and vain. They showed this in everything 
they did. For example, their drill was of the 
most simple description. It merely consisted 
in their moving backwards and forwards from 
one another on a platform of sticks, which 
could be drawn out or in at pleasure. 

This, it will easily be believed, required no 

76 


THE OFFICER AND THE ELEPHANT. 


77 


great skill or knowledge. Yet, to judge from 
the pride expressed upon the faces of the 
Wooden Soldiers as they went through this 
simple movement, one would have certainly 
imagined it was exceedingly difficult. 

Their foolish pride was also displayed in 
their manner towards others. No one ven- 
tured to ask them even the most civil of ques- 
tions for fear of receiving a rude answer. Father 
Christmas one afternoon happened to inquire 
at the Commanding-officer what time it was. 

“Time,” he replied, “for little boys to be in 
bed.” 

“You might,” said the patriarch gravely, 
“ have shown a little respect for the length of 
my beard and the whiteness of my hairs. ’Tis 
hardly the way to speak to a man of my years 
and standing. One, too, who with the decline 
of the year expects to be at the top of the tree.” 

But the Officer merely laughed loudly and 
shrugged his shoulders. 

From this instance, which is only one ex- 


ample of many, you will easily understand how 
the Wooden Soldiers came to be disliked in 
the toy-shop. 

As for the fear they inspired, this was partly 
owing to the long swords they wore, and partly 
owing to the boasting way in which they vowed 
they could use them. 

“ My men and I really command the whole 
shop,” said the Officer one day. “ Moreover, 
who faces one, faces all, for we all march in the 
same direction. We not only have our good 
swords, but we know how to use them. They 
are sheathed now, but let no one count upon 
that to offend us. Let but a foolhardy toy dare 
insult us, and — ” here he gave the word of 
command, and instantly a dozen and one 
swords sprang from their scabbards. 

The lady Dolls shrieked, the Grocer and 
the Butcher began to put up their shutters with 
trembling hands ; the white, furry Rabbit be- 
came a shade whiter ; and the corners of the 
Clown’s mouth dropped instead of going up as 


THE OFFICER AND THE ELEPHANT. 79 

usual. It was plain that a general panic was 
felt. 

The only Toy that did not appear to be af- 
fected was the great gray Elephant lately ar- 
rived. He twisted his trunk round thought- 
fully, but never changed countenance. 



The Officer saw the general terror he had 
inspired, and both he and his Soldiers were well 
pleased. 

“Besides,” he continued, speaking more 
loudly than before, “if our swords fail us we 
shall have recourse to gunpowder, which will 
make short work of our enemies.” 


So ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 

The Elephant looked at the Officer and his 
men. 

“I don’t see it,” he said bluntly. 

“I didn’t suppose you would,” said the Offi- 
cer scornfully. “Don’t speak in such a hurry. 
The powder I’m speaking of is felt but not 
seen. It’s our last improvement, arrived at by 
slow degrees. Gunpowder, — smokeless gun- 
powder, — soundless gunpowder, — i n v i s i b 1 e 
gunpowder. Thus we may surround an enemy 
with enough gunpowder to blow up a town, but 
they neither see it nor hear it. In fact, 
they know nothing about it until they are 
blown up.” 

This time all the Toys nearly expired with 
fright! The Elephant only remained, as be- 
fore, unmoved. 

“Invisible gunpowder is more humane in 
the end,” the Officer continued. “You are 
quite unaware of what is happening until you 
find yourself in pieces.” 

“The same thing may happen to yourself, I 


the officer and the elephant. 


8i 


suppose?” asked the Elephant, in his heavy and 
clumsy fashion. 

“Beg pardon; did anyone speak ? ” inquired 
the Officer in the most insulting of voices. For 



he despised the Elephant and wished to snub 
him. 

“ I asked you if the same might not happen 
to yourself?” the Elephant repeated, regardless 
of the Officer’s attempt to make him appear 

6— Toy land 



82 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


foolish. “What if the enemy serves you the 
same way ? ” 

“That difficulty, my good beast,” he an- 
swered in his most overbearing manner, “is 
easily disposed of. We have special Soldiers 
trained to smell gunpowder. We have merely 
to send out these scouts, and we can trace the 
gunpowder anywhere within gunshot.” 

“ I don’t believe it,” said the Elephant. 

The Officer at this laughed a grim laugh, 
truly awful to hear. 

“Ha, Ha!” he exclaimed; “do not provoke 
me too far lest I slay you with my sword. 
I’m a man of sport, and to do the act would 
cause me no little diversion. Beware !” 

The Elephant made no reply, which in- 
duced the Officer to think he had frightened 
him. 

“A great clumsy beast of no spirit,” he 
said to his Soldiers. 

“Right, sir,” answered the Soldiers. 

"Now to drill,” he continued sharply. 


THE OFFICER AND THE ELEPHANT. 83 

“Attention! Eyes right, eyes left; right 
movement, left movement; swords out, swords 
in! Mark — time!" 

This last command they were obliged to 
obey with their heads, their feet being tightly 
gummed on to the platform. So tightly gum- 
med that they could not get free even when 
Mortals were not present, and all the Toys 
were at liberty to speak, walk, and talk. In- 
deed, nothing but a strong blow could possibly 
loosen them from their position. 

Therefore, when they marched or even took 
a simple walk they were obliged to march or 
walk in a body, taking the platform with them. 
Again, if the Commanding-officer granted 
leave of absence to one, he was obliged to 
grant it to all, even to himself, otherwise no 
one could have taken it. 

“Come,” said the Officer to the Elephant 
one day, “you are a bright beast. Let me 
propound you a mathematical problem. If a 


84 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


herring and a half cost three halfpence, how 
much would six herrings cost?” 

“ Just as much as they ought to, if you went 
to an honest fishmonger,” answered the Ele- 
phant. 

The Officer and his men laughed loudly. 

“ Capital, capital I” said the bully. “If you 
distinguish yourself in this way we shall have 
to make you Mathematical Instructor-in-Gen- 
eral to the whole army.” 

But the Elephant made no reply. 

“That’s the thickest-skinned animal I ever 
met,” said the Officer to his men. 

But herein he made a mistake. The Ele- 
phant never forgot an insult, but paid it back 
upon the first opportunity. 

The opportunity, in this case, was not long 
in arriving; it came, indeed, all too soon for 
the Officer’s taste. 

It occurred in this way. 

One day a little boy came into the shop 
and asked to look at some soldiers, upon 


THE OFFICER AND THE ELEPHANT. 85 

which the shopwoman showed him the wooden 
warriors. 

'‘No, I don’t like them,” he said; “they 
have to move all the same way at once. It is 
very stupid of them. Have you no others?” 

“Not just at the moment,” replied the 
shopwoman. “We are expecting some more. 
They should have been here several days 
ago.” 

“Then I’ll take a train,” said the boy. 
“ But it is very funny that you should have 
such a poor lot of soldiers as these.” 

“That silly remark will make the Toys less 
afraid of us,” thought the Officer to himself 
with some alarm. “I shall make the men 
practise sword-drill in the most open fashion 
for several hours. This will remind the world 
that we are not to be trifled with.” 

But it is one thing to make a resolution 
and quite another thing to carry it into effect. 
This the Officer was to experience ere the day 
was over. 


86 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


For in putting the Soldiers back into their 
place the shopwoman happened to hit the 
Officer with some force against a dolls’ house. 
Being a very hard blow it knocked him off the 
platform, and, unnoticed by her, he fell on his 
back upon the counter. 

Now came the time for the Elephant’s re- 
venge. The Officer fell just under the ani- 
mal’s trunk! 

It was, as the Officer at once realized, by 
no means a pleasant situation. As his men 
were some yards away from him, and unable 
to come in a body to his rescue till perhaps too 
late, the Officer was exceedingly uneasy. 

“ I had better soothe the monster,” he said 
to himself. Then aloud, and in a pleasant 
voice: “What a nice handy trunk that is of 
yours; you must be able to carry so much in 
it? As for me, I have to travel with a port- 
manteau, a Gladstone-bag, a hat-box, and a 
gun-case ; it is a terrible nuisance.” 

He paused, but the Elephant made no reply. 


THE OFFICER AND THE ELEPHANT. 87 


“This is not very pleasant,” said the Officer 
uneasily to himself. “ I fear the beast is of a 
sulky temper. What will happen to me?” 



And he lay still, trembling and fearful. 

At last the day closed in, the Mortals shut 


88 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


up the shop and left, and the time of the Toys 
arrived. 

The Elephant then addressed the Officer in 
a slow voice and ponderous manner. 

“ I feel inclined to trample on you,” he 
remarked. 

The Officer closed his eyes with terror; 
then, half-opening them, he endeavored to look 
defiantly and speak boldly. 

“Pre-pre-sump-tu-tu-ous b-b-b-beast! ” he 
faltered. 

The Elephant looked at him threateningly. 

“ It was on-on-ly my f-f-fun!” stammered 
the Officer, trembling with fear, and all the 
crimson fading from his cheeks. 

“Do you wish me to spare your life?” 
asked the Elephant. 

“ It is very valuable,” the Officer replied 
more calmly as he regained courage, and 
unable to forget his foolish pride even in that 
awful moment. 


THE OFFICER AND THE ELEPHANT. 89 

“The world can do without it/* said the 
great beast threateningly. 

“Spare me!” cried the coward and bully. 

The Elephant paused. 

“Very good,” he answered, “but only up- 
on my own conditions.” 

“Certainly, certainly,” the Officer said in a 
fawning voice. “Many thanks; any con- 
ditions that you may think proper.” 

After this the Elephant thought for a long 
while. Then he said: 

“These are my conditions. You must 
submit to let me carry you up and down the 
counter, stopping before such Toys as I shall 
see fit. And whenever I stop, you are to an- 
nounce yourself in these words: ‘Good-even- 
ing. Have you kicked the coward and the 
bully? The real genuine article, no imitation. 
If you have not kicked him already , kick him 
without delay l 

“It is too bad of you to require me to say 
this,” the Officer cried, his anger for the 


9 o ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 

moment overcoming his fear. “But then you 
are not a gentleman. You are — ” 

“When you have done,” interrupted the 
Elephant, “I will begin.” 

So saying, and amidst the intense excite- 
ment of the other Toys, the Elephant, with his 
trunk, slowly picked up his fallen foe by the 
back of the coat and began his ponderous 
march — so triumphant for himself, so humiliat- 
ing for the Officer. 

The programme was carried out exactly as 
the Elephant had said it should be, ..for the 
great gray beast was a beast of his word. He 
never made up his mind in a foolish hurry, but 
having made it up he rarely altered it. 

And so it was upon this occasion. After 
every few steps the huge creature stopped be- 
fore one or another of the Toys, when the 
former tyrant was obliged to announce himself 
as a coward and a bully, and invite a kicking, 
an invitation which was always accepted, and 
acted upon with much heartiness. 


THE OFFICER AND THE ELEPHANT. 


91 


Finally the avenger laid the Officer on the 
platform, from which the Wooden Soldiers 
had been watching with amazement and horror 
the journey of the Commanding-officer; under- 
standing as they did for the first time the 
strength of the great beast and afraid to 
interfere. 

Having placed his humble foe in his old 
position, only upon his back instead of upon 
his feet, the Elephant with his trunk deliber- 
ately knocked over all the Soldiers one after 
the other. Then he grunted and walked slowly 
away. 

So ended the reign of terror which the 
Officer and his Soldiers had established over 
the toy-shop. And so universal was the relief 
experienced after the strain that had been felt, 
that the Elephant was everywhere hailed as a 
Friend to the Public. Indeed, during the re- 
mainder of his stay in the shop, he was treated 
with greater respect and deference than any 
other toy, — Father Christmas only excepted, — 


9 2 


AD VENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


and when he left at Christmas-time, the regret 
expressed was both loud and sincere. 




AM a little bit sorry for the 
Officer,” said the little girl, 
“He must have been a 
good deal hurt. And he 
must have felt very silly, 
too,” she added. 

“Almost worse than be- 
ing hurt, isn’t it?” said the 
little Marionette. “Yes, I was a little sorry for 
him myself; but I think he deserved all he got.” 

“Yes; because he was a horrid bully, 
wasn’t he?” said the little girl. “And his men, 
too, were as bad as he. I always used to like 
toy-soldiers. I never shall again.” 

“ I should not like you to judge of all sol- 
diers by the wooden ones I have told you of” 

93 


94 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


said the Marionette. “We have had in the 
shop sets of wooden and tin soldiers of the 
highest character; gallant fellows, beloved and 
esteemed by all. I will tell you of them to- 
morrow if you like.” 

The little girl considered a moment. 

“I think,” she said at length, “I would 
rather hear something quite different for a 
change. If you do not mind,” she added 
politely. 

“Not in the least,” replied the little lady. 
“ I shall think of a story that shall have noth- 
ing to do with soldiers, good, bad, or in- 
different.” 

So on the morrow when they met again 
the Marionette said: 

“I have thought of quite a different sort of 
story to the one I told you yesterday.” 

“Thank you,” said her little friend. 
“Please begin.” 

“Yes,” she said as the little Marionette 
remained silent. “Yes — yes — do begin ! ” 


THE LITTLE DANCER. 


95 


“Patience, patience! I am just considering 
for a moment if I have the story correct in 
every respect. It is now some time since it 
happened, and one’s memory is apt to play one 
tricks when one is telling stories of other 
people. But I think I remember it correctly. 
So I will begin without further delay the 
history of: 


“‘The Little Dancer.’” 



There never was a prettier dancer than the 
Little Dancer of the frizzy dark hair, and the 
blue tulle dress with silver spangles. 

Forward, backward, forward, backward 
went her little feet with rapid, dainty move- 
ment, whilst the small musical-box — on the 
top of which she gracefully danced — tinkled, 
tinkled, tinkled out its gay little tune, and all 
the Toys watched her with the greatest 
delight. 

Truly she bewitched all who saw her, 
and gained much admiration. But she was 

96 


THE LITTLE DANCER- 


97 


very modest, and not at all conceited, so that 
she was not only admired but also loved; 


which, as you will 



man, and unfortunately fell in love with him as 
he went by. He was a very handsome fellow, 

7 — Toy land 


98 ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 

and made a good appearance upon his bicycle. 

Directly the Little Dancer saw him she 
loved him, and she lost no time in telling him 
so. She spoke without any hesitation. 

“ Dear heart, I love you,” she said as she 
danced. 

Now the Bicycle-man was very vain, and 
was therefore not a little gratified at the im- 
pression he had made. But he pretended to be 
much displeased. 

“You should not have said that until / had 
first said something of the sort,” replied the 
Bicycle-man. “It was not your place to speak 
first. You are very forward.” 

And he rode on. 

The Little Dancer was much distressed. 

“ He is angry,” she said to her friend the 
Little China Doll next to her, with the two 
long flaxen pigtails hanging down her 
back. 

“ He is angry.” And she danced more 
slowly and less gaily. 


THE LITTLE DANCER. 


99 


"What of that?” said her friend, tossing 
her head. “It is of no consequence.” 

“No; it is of no consequence,” repeated 
the Little Dancer. But she felt unhappy. 

The next day the Bicycle-man passed that 
way again, and she danced her very best, 
hoping to win his heart. 

“That is really not bad,” he said; “not at 
all bad. You dance quite nicely, as dancing 
goes.” 

“ Oh sweetheart, I love you 1 ” she said, en- 
couraged by his praise. 

“ I really cannot stand such remarks,” said 
the Bicycle-man. “They make me both angry 
and confused.” 

And he went on, leaving her in tears. 

“Why do you trouble about him?” said the 
Little China Doll. “ He is not worth it. A 
penny Toy, indeed! You turn his head. Take 
no more notice of him.” 

“I won’t,” replied the Little Dancer tear- 
fully. 


Lore. 


too ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 

So the next time he stopped to watch her 
dancing she did not speak to him. 

“You are getting rude now,” he said. “I 
am not sure whether that is not worse than 
being forward.” 

“What shall I say?” asked the Little 
Dancer. “ My words do not please you.” 

“I should not be displeased if you were to 
say 1 good-day’, ” he replied. “ It would only 
be polite, and I never find fault with polite- 
ness.” 

“Good-day,” she said, as she practised her 
steps. 

“Is that all?” he inquired. 

“That is all,” she answered. 

“I have a bit of news for you,” he said. 
“ I am thinking of marrying the doll to whom 
the Red House belongs. It is a comfortable 
house, well built, and well appointed. You 
shall come and have tea with us.” 

The Little Dancer burst into tears, and her 
feet moved more slowly. 


THE LITTLE DANCER. 


IOI 


“Why are you crying?” asked the Bicycle- 
man, with pretended surprise. 

“Dear heart, Oh dear heart, I love you!” 
she wept. 

“Well, well, so do many others,” he an- 
swered. “It isn’t my fault.” 

And mounting his bicycle he rode away. 

“Don’t you see you are making him 
terribly conceited?” said the Little China Doll. 
“ It is absurd of you. Try to be more sen- 
sible.” 

“ I love him so, I love him so I ” sobbed the 
Little Dancer. “My heart is broken.” 

On the morrow the Bicycle-man appeared 
as usual. 

“ It is all settled,” he said. “ I hope to 
marry the doll to whom the Red House 
belongs, before the week is out. I fear my 
marriage will be a disappointment to many a 
lady.” 

The Little Dancer made no reply: she was 
too heart-broken to utter a sound. 


102 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


“Are you not goingto wish me happiness?” 
he asked. 

But the Little Dancer still spoke not. She 
danced faster and faster as the tears fell from 
her eyes. 

The Bicycle-man did not notice how quickly 
her tears were falling. 

“Your silence is a sad want of manners,” 
he said. “ Uncivility is far from attractive.” 

Still the little Dancer made no answer; she 
could not speak, she was crying so bitterly. 

“Well, good-day,” he said. “It is very 
evident that you did not pay the extra two- 
pence for manners.” 

Then he left. 

“ Stop dancing,” said the Little China Doll 
to the Little Dancer. “You are not in a fit 
state to dance. You will kill yourself.” 

“ I must dance till I forget, or till I die,” 
she answered — sobbing. 

And then she danced faster, faster, faster, 
till she went at quite a furious rate. Her little 


THE LITTLE DANCER, . 


103 



hardly see them. 


104 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND . 


The China Doll implored the poor Little 
Dancer to stop, but she did not heed her. 
She continued dancing, dancing, dancing all 
through the day, all through the evening, and 
far into the night. Till, at last, something 
within her went — Snap / 

And she fell flat on the ground, and the gay 
little tune stopped suddenly. The clockwork 
within her had broken. She had danced her- 
self to death ! 

The next morning the Bicycle-man came 
again. 

“The wedding is put off — ” he began. 
Then he saw the lifeless form of the Little 
Dancer, and he turned pale. 

“You have killed her by your vanity,’’ said 
the China Doll severely. “ If you had stayed 
away she would have forgotten you. But you 
would come because it pleased your conceit to 
hear her say she loved you, and to hear her 
lament because you did not love her. She has 
danced herself to death in her despair. Alas! 
Alas 1 My poor friend ! ” 


THE LITTLE DANCER. 


105 


“ I really believe I loved her after all,” said 
the Bicycle-man in a sad voice. “ What can I 
say or do to make some slight amends? Tell 
me.” 

“There is nothing to be said or done,” said 
the China Doll. “The poor Little Dancer is 
dead. It is too late I Go and marry the Doll 
of the Red House.” 

“I don’t want to now'' he answered. 
“ Henceforward my life shall be passed mourn- 
ing for the Little Dancer who broke her heart 
because of me. And from this time I shall 
ride my bicycle sitting with my back to the 
handle, and with my hands behind me. It will 
be a most absurd position, but it will serve as 
a punishment to remind me of the sad end to 
which my vanity brought my poor little sweet- 
heart.” 

And he strictly kept his resolve. At first 
the other Toys laughed: then they wondered; 
then they inquired into the meaning of so 
strange a performance. And when they heard 


lo6 ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 

the story, such of them as had heads shook 
them, and all said gravely: 

“ ’Tis well and nobly meant. But it won’t 
mend the poor Little Dancer’s heart. Alasl 
Alack-a-day I” 




the little girl took out her handkerchief and 
wiped her eyes. 

“ Come, this won’t do,” said the little Mar- 
ionette. “ I should not have told you the story 
if I had thought you were going to take it so 
much to heart.” 

“I am very sorry for the poor Little Dan- 
cer,” she replied sadly ; “I wish that the Bi- 
cycle-man had not been so unkind.” 

“ Well, well, it is all over now. Wipe your 
eyes ; you can’t do any good by crying, and I 
don’t like seeing tears,” said her friend. 

“Never mind; I rather like feeling sad,” 
Molly answered politely, though tearfully. 

107 


108 ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND . 

“ Still, a little sadness goes a long way,” 
remarked the Marionette. “ There is no doubt 
of that. I think I had better tell you some- 
thing to amuse you now.” She thought a 
moment and then she laughed. 

“What are you laughing at?” asked the 
little girl with curiosity. 

“At the remembrance of the Hansom- 
driver,” she answered. “I never can think of 
him without laughing. Shall I tell you his 
story? I shall have time to do so this evening, 
for it is short, like the one I have just finished.” 
And she began the story of: 


“The Hansom-driver. 



The Hansom-driver was indeed very plain, 
but he fancied himself very beautiful. ’Tis 
thus that we are liable to make errors of judg- 
ment; especially respecting ourselves. 

His cheeks were crimson and his nose was 
the same hue, yet he was quite convinced that 
all the young lady dolls envied him his com- 
plexion. His eyes were dull as lead, but in his 
boundless conceit he always compared them to 
sparkling diamonds. 

In a word, his appearance was terribly 

109 


IIO 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


against him, yet his constant complaint was 
that he attracted so much attention, and won 
so much admiration wherever he went, that he 
could almost find it in his heart to wish he had 
been born ugly. 

His own looks were his constant topic of 
conversation, till at length the other Toys 
quaked when he opened his mouth, know- 
ing very well how they were going to 
suffer. 

Amongst those who suffered the most from 
his talk were the Butcher, the Baker, and the 
Clown. They lived at the opposite side of the 
counter, where he drove every morning to 
give his orders for bread and meat. He never 
thought of driving away at once when he had 
done this, but always stopped to make remarks 
upon his own appearance; till at length, in 
common with the rest of the world, they 
became wearied to death of the subject. The 
Butcher and Baker tried to put a stop to it by 
making uncivil remarks, and the clown by 


THE HANSOM-DRIVER. 


lit 


making rude jests. But the conceit of the 
Hansom-driver still remained. 

One day when he was talking to his three 
acquaintances, the Butcher happened to remark 



on the beauty of the sunset-glow the previous 
evening. 

“Some people,” said the Hansom-driver at 
once, “admire the beautiful glow of the sunset 
sky, some the beautiful glow of the healthy 


112 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


countenance. By the by, a chap I met yester- 
day told me my face was simply glowing with 
health.” 

“ Especially your nose, my pretty fellow,” 
remarked the Clown. 

'‘From my brow to my chin, I am, I be- 
lieve, suffused with the glow of a pretty color,” 
replied the Hansom-driver. Naturally it does 
not skip my nose. And very glad I am it does 
not; I should not like any feature to feel 
neglected or left out in the cold.” 

“He becomes quite unbearable,” whispered 
one lady doll to another. 

“Quite,” she replied in the same tone. 

The Hansom-driver smiled as he saw them 
whisper. He did not doubt but that they 
were making some flattering remarks about 
himself. 

“Speak out, ladies,” he said. 

But they turned away in silent anger. 

Most people would have been annoyed at 
this behavior. Not so the Hansom-driver. 


THE HANSOM-DRIVER. 


113 


In his great vanity he completely misread their 
silence. 

“A compliment about me,” he laughed. 



“ Doubtless too great a one to be said aloud.” 

“You needn’t fancy that," said the Butcher 
rudely. “You hear a good many compliments, 

8 — Toy land 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND . 


114 

I don’t deny, but they all come from the same 
source — your own block of a head. When 
you are absent you get few enough, that I 
know for a positive fact.” 

“ Not that there is anything surprising in it,” 
the Baker said to the Hansom-driver in quite 
as rude a manner as the Butcher. “ I am not 
yet aware that you are a subject for compli- 
ments.” 

“ ‘My face is my fortune, sir, he said’,” 
misquoted the Hansom-driver with great con- 
ceit; “and a very handsome fortune, too,” he 
added. 

“Your face!” exclaimed the Butcher. 
“ Why, a sheep’s face is more to be admired 
than yours.” 

“ I beg to differ,” the Hansom-driver said, 
shaking his head. “ I’ve never yet seen a 
really good-looking face amongst a flock of 
sheep.” 

“ So you actually think yours is good-look- 
ing?” sneered the Baker. “Why, I could 


THE HANSOM-DRIVER. 


ll S 



make a better-looking one out of a piece of 
dough/’ 

“ I defy you to,” the Hansom-driver re- 


plied. “ A face like mine is not easily copied. 
Nor am I the only person of that opinion. 
All the ladies think that I am beautiful. And 
of course I go by what they think.” 


Ii6 ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND . 

“And who,” he asked, with a bow towards 
a little group of lady dolls, “ who can be better 
judges of the matter ?” 

“ Do you think they consider you good- 
looking?” inquired the Clown. “Get along, 
you dreamer !” 

“ I do not think it, I know it,” he replied. 

“We don’t,” said the Butcher and the 
Baker. “Put it to the proof. We challenge 
you. Let the ladies vote upon the matter and 
they will prove you mistaken.” 

“Very well,” answered the Hansom-driver. 
“ The result will be favorable to me. Of that 
I have no doubt.” 

“ All right ! To business,” said the Butcher. 
“What about the ladies’ decision as to this fel- 
low’s claim of beauty?” 

“Ay; when shall it be given?” inquired 
the Hansom-driver, anxious to lose no time. 

“In a fortnight at the earliest,” said the 
Clown. “The making up of ladies’ minds, as 
of Christmas puddings, requires plenty of 
thought and preparation.” 


THE HANSOM-DRIVER. 


>17 


“Good!” said the Hansom-driver. Then 
he got up upon the seat of his hansom, 
whipped up his horse, and drove off. 

Now, during the fortnight he was, if pos- 
sible, more conceited than ever. He never 
ceased making vain speeches respecting his 
looks, and could indeed be induced to speak of 
nothing else. 

“I have not the slightest fear as to the 
ladies’ decision,” he boastfully remarked. 

“When I look in the glass I see how im- 
possible it is that they should have anything 
but one opinion. By the by, a most curious 
little incident occurred last night. I was saun- 
tering about my end of the counter, when the 
white Polar Bear walked right up against me. 
‘Hulloa!’ I said, ‘look out where you are 
going.’ ‘I beg your pardon, I’m sure,’ said 
he; ‘ It was a little mistake. I was trying to 
find my way home, and catching sight of your 
right eye, mistook it for the Polar Star and 
guided myself by its light.’ ‘Very flattering,’ 


1 1 8 A D VENTURES IN TOYLAND. 

I said, 'but I’d prefer you not to tread on my 
toes/ Strange, wasn’t it?” 

"Most strange!” the Butcher jeered. 
"The Polar Bear has never been able to see 
clearly since the shopwoman’s baby poked out 
both his eyes. Your story is a little far-fetched, 
my good chap.” 

"Oh, what a surprise!” laughed the Clown, 
as the Hansom-driver, unable to avoid looking 
a little silly, turned his head aside and pre- 
tended to sneeze. 

"I’ve a piece of news for you,” said the 
Baker; "another surprise. The ladies have 
made up their minds already. Instead of a 
fortnight they have only taken a week to 
decide. They have but one opinion, and the 
Clown has been instructed to deliver it to you 
to-morrow morning when you come to give 
your orders. I may warn you that you will 
find a great crowd of Toys waiting to hear it.” 

" Let come who will,” vaunted the Han- 
som-driver. "/ fear no crowd. The more 


THE HANSOM-DRIVER. 


119 

Toys to witness my moment of triumph, the 
better.” 

And it was in this frame of mind that, 
on the following morning, he drove to the 
Butcher’s shop, outside of which a large 
crowd was gathered. 

“Well,” he said with a smile to the Clown 
who headed the crowd ; “well, and what is the 
ladies’ opinion about my beauty ?” 

“ The ladies have decided,” said the Clown, 
nodding his head and speaking very rapidly ; 
“ the ladies have all decided — mind you, all 
decided — that you are a hansom man. And 
so say I.” 

The Hansom-driver climbed down from his 
seat. 

“Shake hands,” he said. “One doesn’t 
find a fellow of sense like you every day.” 

The Clown shook hands, then turned a 
somer-sault and grinned from ear to ear. 

“ Handsome,” he said slowly, “but without 
the d and the e , Mark that, my child. No 


120 


A D VENTURES IN' TOVLAND. 


beauty , but a hansom man. Ho-la! What’s 
the time of day? Time to go away ?” 

For the Hansom-driver had mounted to his 
seat, and, whipping up his horse, was driving 
off as fast as he could. 




“ That was very funny,” said the little girl; 
it made me laugh very much.” 

“It made all the Toys laugh,” said the 
Marionette — “ except the Hansom-driver him- 
self. And, perhaps, he might be excused for 
not doing so.” 

“He was a vain thing,” said the little girl. 

“ He was,” the Marionette agreed. “ How- 
ever, we must not be too severe on him. He 
had his good points after all. He was not bad- 
tempered, for example, like poor Claribelle, 
who at one time was quite unbearable, and 
made herself disliked by everyone. Though 
in the end, poor creature, she became, it is 
true, an altered character.” 


121 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND . 


1 22 


“ ‘Poor Claribelle!’ Who was she?” 

“A young lady doll whose bad temper, un- 
fortunately for her, brought her great sorrow. 

“I should like to hear about her,” said the 
little girl. 

The little Marionette mused a moment. “I 
should not do wrong to tell you,” she re- 
marked. “The story of this poor, proud crea- 
ture may perhaps serve as a lesson and warn- 
ing to some other haughty and fanciful young 
lady. Yes, you shall hear to-morrow evening 
of Claribelle.” And so the next evening, in a 
grave voice that befitted the tale, she told the 
story of 


“Proud Claribelle . 3 



Claribelle was a very haughty doll. She 
was very beautiful, with great brown eyes and a 
mass of dark hair that fell to her waist. She 
had fine clothes, too; a pink silk dress, a large 
straw hat trimmed with lace and pink roses, 
pink silk stockings and bronze shoes, and 
round her neck a string of pearls, which were 
the envy of every lady doll in the toy-shop. 

She held her head very high indeed, and 
would not speak to this doll because it was 
“frumpish,” or that doll because it was not in 
the same set as herself. The China Doll she 
really could not be on intimate terms with, be- 
cause she had a crack across her cheek. Fancy 
being seen walking with a cracky person! 

123 


124 


ADVENTURES IN TO VIAND. 


Also, she must really decline being introduced 
to the Farthing Doll. A very good, worthy 
person, no doubt, but really she and a doll 
worth a farthing could not possibly have many 
tastes in common. 

As to the Rag Doll, she was a pushing 
person. At a tea-party at which they had both 
been present, she had asked Claribelle if she 
didn’t think that skirts were fuller. To think 
of discussing clothes with a creature of rags 1 
The idea was really too comical ! 

It was thus, and in this proud spirit, that 
Claribelle talked about the other and more 
modest Toys. There were, indeed, very few 
that she would take the slightest notice of. As 
a matter of fact, when she walked down the 
counter she held her nose so much in the air 
that it was very rarely she saw anyone. She 
did not care in the least whether she trod on 
other people’s toes or not. 

From this you will easily understand that 
she was a Toy who gained more admiration 


PROUD CLARIBELLE. 


125 


than love. There was, however, one who was 
truly devoted to Claribelle. This was the 
Driver of the Wagon, who was always of the 


opinion that beneath her haughty manner lay a 
kind heart. They were engaged to be married, 
and with true affection he often spoke to her 
about her haughty manner to the other Toys. 



126 


ADVENTURES IN TOVLAND. 


On such occasions Claribelle tossed her 
head and flew into a passion, often sulking for 
hours afterwards. Yet, although she so sorely 
tried the Driver's patience, he continued to 
love her. And when all other means had 
failed he would often sing her back to good 
temper, for he had a beautiful tenor voice. 

He was a little proud of his voice, and 
used to practise every night, partly because he 
loved music, also because he delighted to show 
his devotion to Claribelle by singing her little 
love-songs in a well-trained manner. 

He was of a kindly, genial nature, so that 
you would have thought it was hardly possible 
to quarrel with him. But Claribelle’s pride not 
seldom caused a dispute between them, and 
she would often start a heated argument with- 
out any reason. 

It was thus one day that a quarel arose 
which ended in the most serious manner. 

They were out driving in the Wagon, 
when the Driver, remembering he owed a call 


PROUD CLARIBELLE. 


127 


on the Farthing Doll, proposed that he and 
Claribelle should go thither. 

“What!” she exclaimed haughtily. “Pay 



a call on that Farthing creature! Certainly 
not! ” 

“I, at least, must go, sooner or later,” the 
Driver replied. 

“Why?” she asked much displeased. 


128 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


'‘Because did I not call,” answered he 
kindly but firmly, “ I should be lacking in 
courtesy to a lady who has never shown me 
anything but the utmost civility. However, 
since you do not wish it, I will not go to-day.” 

“I do not wish you to go at all,” she said. 
“But I see it is quite sufficient for me to say 
that I do not desire you to do a thing, for you 
to do it.” 

And after this she sulked and said she did 
not love him. 

Upon this the Driver bethought him a new 
song he had just learnt, and he determined to 
sing it in the hope of winning her back to 
good temper. So he began: 

“ * Oh, down in Alabama, before I was set free, 

I loved a dark -eyed, yaller girl, 

And thought — ’ ” 

But he got no further, for here Claribelle 
interrupted him. 

“Does that apply to me f” she said with 
flashing eyes. 


PROUD CLAR/BELLE. 


129 


“Well, you have dark eyes, you know,” he 
said pleasantly, hoping to make her smile. 
“ Beautiful dark eyes, too.” 

“Stop the wagon !” she said furiously. “I 
will not be so insulted. Dark eyes, yes ; but 
yaller! yaller! yaller!” 

“Allow me to explain. I only — ” began 
the Driver. 

“ Yaller ; indeedl Stop the Wagon!” 

“ I should like to say — ” 

“ A dark-eyed, yaller girl ! Stop the Wag- 
on, — and consider our engagement at an end.” 

“ JVill you let me — ” 

But Claribelle shook her head furiously, 
and in her rage tried to jump out of the Wag- 
on. So the Driver, fearing she would break 
her neck, did as she requested and pulled up 
his horse, when she immediately alighted. 
Then she swept away,' flouncing her pink silk 
dress, and with her head in the air. 

The Driver called later and tried to pacify 
her, but she would not listen. She only turned 

9 —Toy land, 


13 ° 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


her back upon him — which was a very rude 
thing to do — and persisted in saying that their 
engagement was at an end. 

So the Wagoner whipped up his horse 
and went away sad and sorry. He looked, 
indeed, so sad that the haughty Claribelle 
nearly repented of her pride and was just 
about to call him back. 

“ But he’ll return to-morrow,” she said to 
herself, “ and he must be taught not to make 
false remarks about my complexion. Fancy 
calling me ‘yaller!’ ” 

The next day he came as she expected. 

“Do I still look yaller?” Claribelle asked 
scornfully. 

“ Let bygones be bygones,” said he. “Be- 
sides, I never called you yaller.” 

“Our engagement is ended,” she said. 

“Claribelle,” he said kindly but firmly, 
“ listen to what I say. If you do not tame 
your proud temper, you will one day bring 
sorrow upon yourself.” Then he left, wounded 
and displeased. 


PROUD CLARIBELLE. 



The next day 
he came again. 

“ I may be go- 
ingaway,” he said, 
“ to the other side 
of the shop, to the 
opposite counter.” 
“Do I still look 
yaller?” Claribelle asked, tossing her head. 


132 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


“Aren’t you sorry I am going?” he replied. 

“I haven’t time to think of trifles,” she 
said haughtily. 

“Cruel Claribelle,” he said. “I shall not 
send you a letter, not even a post-card.” 

“Letters are dull,” she said coldly, “and 
post-cards are vulgar.” 

“You will repent of this some day,” he 
replied. And he turned and went away in 
anger. 

On the morrow he came once more. 

“I have come to say good-bye,” he said. 

“Oh!” she replied; but not a word more. 

“Aren’t you sorry?” he asked again. 

“Yes,” she replied, “because the Farthing 
Doll put her foot on my dress this morning in 
passing me, and tore it. She is a clumsy 
thing.” 

“You are trying my patience too far,” he 
said. “Proud Claribelle, beware! Beware, 
proud Claribelle!” 

“You confirm me in my resolution,” said 


PROUD CL A RIBELLE. 


133 


she. “I will never marry a Toy who gives 



way to his temper over nothing. Once for all, 
our engagement is at an end.” 


"34 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


“I cannot believe that,” he said. “Do you 
really mean it?” 

“Certainly,” she answered. 

“So be it,” he replied. 

Then he got up from his chair with dignity, 
made a low bow, mounted his Wagon, and 
drove away. 

“I almost wish I had not said that,” 
thought the haughty Beauty uneasily. “I 
never meant him to go away so soon. If he 
had stayed I should, perhaps, have altered my 
mind. I will tell him so when he comes to- 
morrow.” 

But next day he did not come. Then a 
few tears fell from Claribelle’s haughty eyes. 
Nor did he come on the next, and then she 
shed more. Nor on the following day; nor 
the day after that, nor the day after that , — nor 
ever again! And each day poor Claribelle 
wept more and more, till it was sad to see her. 

At last she heard the Wagoner had left 
the toy-shop altogether, and she knew she 


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36 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND . 


should never see him again. And she cried, 
and cried, and cried, till she cried away every 
bit of pride in her nature! Indeed, from being 
the proudest Toy in the shop she became the 
meekest and gentlest — kind and thoughtful to 
all. 

So the other Toys would often remark one 
to the other with surprise and pleasure: 

“Lo! how poor Claribelle hath been chas- 
tened by sorrow !” 

“Poor, poor Claribelle! I am sorry for 
her!” said the little girl. 

“ She had, indeed, a severe lesson,” ans- 
wered the little Marionette. 

“And did the Wagoner ever come back?” 

“ Never, never. He loved, but drove away.” 

“How sad!” sighed the little girl. 

“ Sad, indeed,” said the Marionette. “Well, 
as I always say, let all young ladies take warn- 
ing by the story of Proud Claribelle, and then 
it will not have been told in vain.” 

There was a pause. 


PROUD CLARIBELLE . 


137 


Then the little girl said: 

“Next time you tell me a story I should 
like it to be happy all through. Happy, you 
know, from beginning to end.” 

The little Marionette thought a few mo- 
ments, then shook her head. 

“I can’t remember such a story,” she said. 
“ I think there must be very few.” 

“I am sorry for that,” answered the little 
girl disappointed. “ I wanted very much to 
hear one.” 

“We must take things as they are,” said 
the little lady cheerfully. “If I don’t know 
many stories that are happy all the way 
through, I know plenty that are so at the be- 
ginning, or the middle, or the end; or even 
more than that.” 

“Which do you like best?” said the little 
girl. 

“Oh, stories with a happy ending! You 
can forget that the beginning or middle has 
been sad, and you can go away smiling.” 


i 3 8 


ADVENTURES IN TOVLAND. 


“Then tell me to-morrow a story that ends 
happily.” 

“If you will,” said the little Marionette. 




On the morrow, 
when the two met as 
usual, the Marionette 
said to the little girl: 

“ Good evening. I 
have thought of a story 
that will please you.” 

“ Then I suppose it ends most happily, 
doesn’t it?” asked Molly. 

‘'Quite right,” she replied. “I am going 
to tell you one that ends as happily as you 
could wish it to. You will, I am sure, be quite 
satisfied with the conclusion of: 


‘The Grocer and the Farthing Doll 


T 39 



Never was there a love affair more per- 
plexing than the love affair of- the Grocer and 
the Farthing Doll. It puzzled the whole toy- 
shop; it even puzzled the two lovers them- 
selves. 

The affair was rather difficult to under- 
stand, but I will try to explain it to you as 
simply as I can. 

Everyone knew that the Grocer and the 
Farthing Doll loved each other; the Grocer 
knew he loved the Farthing Doll, but he did 
not know that she loved him; the Farthing 
140 


THE GROCER AND THE FARTHING DOLL. 141 

Doll knew that she loved the Grocer, but she 
didn’t know if he loved her. 

So everything was at a stand-still, and none 
of the other dolls knew how to bring the mat- 
ter to a happy end. No one quite liked to in- 
terfere. And for these reasons: The Grocer 
was very proud and would take no advice, 
whilst the Farthing Doll was so sensitive that 
a single wrong word might cause her a serious 
illness. Again, the Grocer wouldn’t ask the 
Farthing Doll to marry him because, being a 
proud Toy, he feared the humiliation of her 
saying “ No.” She, on her part, would not 
say much to help him, lest it should look as if 
she were forward. 

It was thus that matters stood, when, walk- 
ing along the counter one day, the Farthing 
Doll met the Grocer sauntering by with a sad 
face. 

“Well!” she exclaimed, with a start of sur- 
prise. “Fancy seeing you here!” 

“ My shop is close by,” he answered. 
“ Don’t you remember?” 


i 4 2 ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND . 

“ To be sure,” she said. “ How odd of me 
to forget.” 

“ I’m very pleased to see you,” said the 
Grocer. 

“I am glad of that, for I have every wish 
to please you,” said the Farthing Doll. 

“ Is that satisfactory ?” he asked. 

“It ought to be,” she replied. 

“I don’t know,” the Grocer said. “You may 
wish to please, without loving. For instance, 
you may try to please a turkey by giving him 
the best of grain. But that is not because you 
love him. It is merely because you wish to 
fatten him well for your Christmas dinner.” 

“ Good-morning !” said the Farthing Doll 
coldly. 

“ Stay !” the Grocer cried. “ I have an 
idea. We appear to have some difficulty in 
finding out the Truth. Let us go and hunt 
for it.” 

“ Where is it to be found?” she asked. 

“At the bottom of a Well, so I’ve heard.” 


THE GROCER AND THE FARTHING DOLL. 143 


“ Then I suppose the first thing is to find 
the Well.” 



“ Exactly so,” he said. “ Come, let us start.” 
So they walked away hand in hand. They 


144 


ADVENTURES IN TOVLAND. 


hunted all up and down the counter, and asked 
directions of many dolls. But never a Well 
could they find. 

“ See !” exclaimed the Farthing Doll at last ; 
“ here’s a square thing that looks something 
like a Well. Go, open it and look down.” 

“ What may be inside, though?’ he said 
cautiously. 

“Truth, Truth, you silly thing!” she said 
impatiently. “Go!” 

So he went and opened the lid. 

But it was not a Well at all. It was 
merely the abode of Jack-in-the-box, and 
when the Grocer looked in Jack jumped out. 
He jumped up so suddenly that he knocked 
the Grocer flat on his back. 

The poor fellow got up and rubbed his head. 

“One gets very hard blows sometimes in 
the search for Truth,” he said ruefully. 

“You shouldn’t be in such a hurry,” re- 
marked Jack-in-the-box. “Take things more 
calmly, and ask the Policeman. Kindly shut 


THE GROCER AND THE FARTHING DOLL. 145 

up the lid of my box. I can’t very well man- 
age it myself, I’m so springy. Close it firmly, 
please, or I shall be jumping out again, and I 
don’t want to do that I wish to stay indoors 
to-day as much as possible, for I have a heavy 
cold in my head and am sneezing every two 1 
minutes.” 

“ That didn’t do much good,” said the 
Grocer when he had done as he was asked, 
and closed the lid of Jack’s box. 

“ Let us find the Policeman,” she said, 
holding out her hand. 

“An excellent idea,” he replied as he took 
it. “There he is, just outside that dolls’ 
house. 

“Constable,” he said, “can you direct us to 
the W ell with T ruth at the bottom ? ” 

“ First to the right, second to the left, and 
keep on till you come to it,” the policeman 
answered, without removing his eyes from the 
kitchen window. 

“Not that I ever heard tell of any such 

IO —Toy land 


146 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


Well,” he added, putting his head inside and 
speaking to the Little China Doll within. 

“Then you’re a deceiver,” she said severely, 
as she handed him a joint of beef tightly gum- 
med on to a wooden platter. 

“You’re sure to arrive at anything if you 
keep on till you get it,” he answered carelessly. 
“ So it doesn’t really matter if you take the first 
to the right and the second to the left, or the 
second to the right and the first to the left. 
You are bound to get there in time. . . . This 
beef is gummed so tightly to the dish that it is 
a job to get it off. . . .” 

In the meantime the Grocer and the Farth- 
ing Doll were wandering about trying to find 
the Well. They sought for a long time, but 
they could not see a sign of it. 

“We’ll never find it,” she said in despair 
“And I am growing so tired I am beginning 
to lose all my good looks. All the crimson is 
wearing off my cheeks.” 

“ Come, come, my dear, we won’t give up 



H7 


148 ADVENTURES IN TOVLAND . 

yet,” he said. “Console yourself; I believe 
many others have been in the same plight be- 
fore us.” 

“ I don’t mind if they have,” she said, tired 
and impatient. 

Now the Grocer was a man of quick intel- 
lect. His thoughts were not solely given to 
the selling of raisins, currants, flour, rice and 
other groceries. As the Farthing Doll spoke, 
a very clever idea came into his head. 

“Wait!” he said thoughtfully. “Your last 
remark has given me a new idea. You men- 
tioned the word mind! Mind, — mind, — mind. 
Yes, — now why should we not give up seeking 
for truth in a Well, and try to find it in our 
minds?” 

“ Have we got them ? ” she asked doubtfully. 

“I think so,” he replied. 

“Then where are they kept?” 

He pondered. 

“In our heads, I imagine,” he said. 

And tapping his forehead to help out his 
thought he remarked, 


THE GROCER AND THE EARTHING DOLL. 149 


“Let us begin. Here is my first question: 
Do you approve of marriages with Grocers?” 



“Before I answer,” said the Farthing Doll 
cautiously, “ I should like to hear if you ap- 



150 ADVENTURES IN TUYLAND. 

prove of marriages with Farthing Dolls? 
Some people don’t.” 

“Ladies first. It is your place to reply to 
me before I reply to you.” 

“I prefer the last word; you may have the 
first.” 

“ It is all very well to expect me to answer 
you, but supposing I said ‘Yes’ and you said 
‘No,’ fancy how my pride would suffer!” 

“But supposing / said ‘Yes’ and you said 
‘No,’ picture to yourself what my feelings 
would be. I should not recover from the 
blow.” 

“We have got ourselves into a difficult 
position,” said the Grocer. “ Let us start 
afresh. If I wrote you a letter, how would 
you answer it?” 

“ As I thought best,” she said. “ But tell 
me how would you write it?” 

“As I thought fit,” he replied. “What 
would your ‘best’ be?” 

“That would depend on your ‘ fit’,” she 
answered. 


THE GROCER AND THE FARTHING DOLL. 151 

The Grocer sighed and knit his brows. 

“ It seems very difficult to come to an un- 
derstanding with you,” he said. 

And then they were both silent for a long 
while. As a matter of fact, this was because 
they were both so depressed that they could 
think of nothing further to say. 

The Farthing Doll was the first to break 
the silence. 

“Perhaps,” she said sadly, “we had better 
start looking for that Well again. The Police- 
man told us that if we kept on we should come 
to it.” 

“ I am not sure that I trust the Policeman,” 
he answered. “ It struck me that he wished, 
unobserved, to enjoy some food from the 
dolls’ house kitchen. He wanted to get rid 
of us.” 

“ What is to be done then ?” she asked. 

The Grocer thought for a long while. Then 
he spoke again. 

“ I have another idea,” he remarked “ Let 


152 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


us look for Truth not in the Well, nor in our 
Minds, but in our Hearts. Do you agree ?” 



“Yes, I do,” she said. “ But how shall we 
set about it?” 

“ Let our Hearts speak,” he replied. 

After this they were silent for a moment or 


THE GROCER AND THE FARTHING DOLL. 153 

two. Then the Grocer and the Farthing Doll 
clasped each other’s hands and spoke at the 
same moment. 

“ My Heart’s Dearest, I love you,” said he. ) 
“You are my Best Beloved,” said she. ) 

So the matter ended happily, to their own 
joy and to the joy of the whole toy-shop. 

And these two lovers found Truth at last: 
not in the bottom of a Well, but in the depths 
of their own Hearts. 

And they married and were happy ever 
after. 

“ That was a nice ending,” remarked the 
little girl. “ I like it.” 

“Yes; very satisfactory, wasn’t it?” said 
the little lady. 

“ How will the next story end, happily or 
sadly ?” 

“I haven’t thought of it yet. You shall 
know to-morrow.” 


*54 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


“ I think I must go now,” said the little 
girl. “ I promised my little cousin to have a 
game of nine-pins with her before bed-time.” 

“ Wait,” said the Marionette. “ I have 
something to tell you. I think to-morrow even- 
ing will be the last time I shall be able to speak 
with you. My power of talking to a Mortal is 
going ; it will not last after our next meeting.” 

“ Oh, I am sorry !” exclaimed the little girl. 
“ I do not leave till two days after to-morrow, 
and I thought that you would be able to go on 
telling me stories up to the very last evening.” 

The little Marionette shook her head. 

“ It will be impossible,” said she. 

“ And after to-morrow we shall not be able 
to talk to each other any more,” exclaimed the 
little girl. “ Oh, how sad 1” 

“ Never mind, even if we cannot talk we can 
remain good friends. The deepest friendship 
is often the quietest.” 

“ Then we can be very great friends in- 
deed,” said the little girl with much affection. 
“ I am so glad, dear 1” 


THE GROCER AND THE EARTHING DOLL. 155 

“ I am going out to-morrow afternoon to 
see the pantomime, but I shall come here as 
early as I can,” she added as she went away. 
“ Don’t you be late.” 

“No, I won’t,” answered the Marionette. 

“ Remember !” 

“Yes, I’ll remember.” 

“How will you remember?” 

“I’ll tie a knot in my hair, so that when I 
brush it I shall feel that there is something to 
recollect.” 

“That’s a good idea,” said the little girl, 
and ran away in content. 




The next evening, as soon as the little girl 
came in, she went to their meeting-place by 
the Noah’s Ark. 

But the little Marionette was not to be 
found. 

“This is too bad of her!” said the little girl. 
“Our last time ! And after she has promised 
not to be late!” 

Tears rose to her eyes. 

“I am very much disappointed,” said she 
as she walked up and down the shop looking 
for her friend. 

156 


THE LAST PERFORMANCE. 


157 


“ I shall never find her Why, 

there she is!” she exclaimed suddenly. 

And she hurried up to the little Marionette, 
who, half-concealed by a big Drum, lay on the 
ground beside a Puzzle. 

“ You are not very kind,” remarked the little 
girl reproachfully. “ I asked you to be early, 
and you never came at all.” 

“ I am very sorry,” answered the little 
Marionette in a tired voice. 

Then she sat up, and the little girl saw with 
much sorrow and surprise that she was quite 
disfigured. Her nose was broken, her eyes 
were crooked, and her face was quite knocked 
about. All the little girl’s annoyance vanished, 
and her heart was full of pity. 

“ Oh, you poor dear little dolly!” she cried; 
“ what has happened to you ?” 

“ I have hurt myself,” was the answer. “ I 
tripped up over this Puzzle.” 

“ I am sorry. Are you very badly hurt?” 
asked her little friend with pity. 


158 ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 

“ Never mind me. I promised to tell you 
one more story, and I shall do so,” answered 
the little Marionette. 

She spoke very sadly, and the little girl 
picked her up and kissed her. 

“ Would you not like to put off telling me 
a story to-day ?” she asked. 

“No. I should like to do so,” the Marion- 
ette answered, “ for it is our last meeting. 
Put me back on the counter and I will tell it to 
you.” 

“Shall I put you back where I found 
you ?” 

“ No, take me back to our old place. I am 
tired of this Puzzle.” 

So the little girl took her to the Noah’s 
Ark, and placed her with her back to it. 

“What is your story about, dear?” the little 
girl asked, drawing her chair close to the 
counter, and bending her head close to the little 
Marionette, the better to hear her small voice 
— weaker and more tiny that evening than 
usual. 


THE LAST PERFORMANCE. 159 

“About a little Marionette like myself, 
whose best and dearest friend left her and 
thought she didn’t mind. And all the while 
she minded so very much ! More than she 
knew how to say !” 

“ Poor little Marionette !” said Molly. 

“ It was sad, for it was only a mistake, 
wasn’t it?” said the little Marionette lady with 
a sigh. “But you shall hear all about it 
Listen whilst I tell you the story of: 


“The Last Performance. 



The two little Marionette dolls had just 
finished their dance before an admiring throng 
of Toys, and the curtain had, that moment, 
fallen upon their last performance. 

“So now,” sighed the little lady Marionette 
to her partner; “so now the play is over. We 
shall never act together again. I heard the 
woman who owned the shop say that she was 
going to separate us, and sell us as ordinary 
Toys. She said there was so little demand 

160 


THE LAST PERFORMANCE. 161 

for Marionettes nowadays. . . . But you heard 
that as well as I, didn’t you?” 

“Yes, I heard,” he answered. “And more, 
too. She said she was going to send me away 
with some other Toys to a Christmas-tree. So 
that it will be good-bye for a long while.” 

The little lady Marionette patted the paniers 
of her pretty brocade dress and remained silent. 

“You don’t mind that, do you?” her partner 
said. “I thought you wouldn’t.” 

“I do mind,” she answered at last. 

“Yes; very much I am sure,” he said. 

“You hurt my feelings,” she replied. 

“I wouldn’t do that for the whole world — 
not for ten worlds,” he answered. 

She smiled. 

“Oh, you smile!” he said. “Then you do 
not mind very much after all.” 

“I smile because it makes me happy to 
hear you speak kindly to me again,” she ans- 
wered. 

But her answer did not please him. 

X I — Toyland 


162 


ADVENTURES IN TO VIAND. 


“You smile at everything,” he said. 
“Nothing troubles you much.” 

“ It troubles me that you should be going 
away; away from me into the wide world,” 
she said. 

“ It will trouble you for half an hour, not 
longer,” said he. “Only half an hour, that’s 
all. I must leave you now.” 

“Don’t,” said she. "Stay.” 

“I can’t,” said he. “Good-bye.” 

And he went straight away without another 
word. 

“ He does not know how dear he is to my 
heart or he would not leave me so,” said the 
little Marionette to herself after he had left. 

Then she threw herself down on the counter 
and cried as if her heart were breaking. She 
threw herself down so violently that she broke 
her nose and knocked her eyes awry. But 
she was too miserable to care. She lay still 
and cried on. 

At last a friend of hers came along — a friend 


THE LAST PERFORMANCE. 


163 

who was a Doll of common sense and practi- 
cal ways. 

“What is all this about?” she asked. 
“Why are you crying?” 

“Because half an hour may last for so 
long,” wept the little Marionette. 

“You are talking nonsense,” she replied 
contemptuously. “Everybody knows that 
half an hour can only last thirty minutas.” 

“Not always. It may sometimes last a 
whole year — many years.” 

“ T ut, tut !” replied the common-sense Doll ; 
“you have no reasoning power. That I can 
see by your face. Still, if I can help you I 
will. What would you have me do?” 

“Give me back my dream,” said the Mar- 
ionette. Then she covered her face with her 
hands and gave a great sigh. 

The common-sense Doll looked even more 
practical than before. 

“That is it, is it?” she said. “A morbid 
longing after a Dream. I begin to understand. 


164 ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 

Nerves, — indigestion, — too many sweet things, 
— I fear I cannot, then, be of much assistance. 
However, the General of the Tin Soldiers has 
a wonderful turn for doctoring, quite a natural 
gift. I will send him to you. He may be 
able to do you some good.” 

So she went on her way, and the little 
Marionette was once more alone with her sor- 
row and regret. 

By and by, however, the General of the Tin 
Soldiers trotted up on his handsome black 
charger, and reined in before her. 

“My dear little lady,” he said kindly, if 
pompously, “in what pitiful condition do I 
find you? Come, come, tell an old soldier, 
who has been through much himself, all about 
it.” And, as she did not at once answer: 
“Well,” he continued good-naturedly, “never 
mind. Do not trouble to speak, I will pre- 
scribe for you. I recognize your complaint, 
and have already treated with much success a 
large number of my Tin Soldiers suffering in 


THE LAST PERFORMANCE. 


165 





i66 


ADVENTURES IN TOVLAND. 


the same way. This, then, is my prescription 
for your malady : plenty of fresh air ; exercise 
in moderation ; early hours and plain diet. 
But don’t let your diet become monotonous. 
For example, a rice pudding one day, sago the 
next, tapioca the third. And a little gentle 
amusement every now and then to keep up 
your spirits; Christy Minstrels; a pleasant, 
little musical gathering of friends ; and so on. 
Finally, a powerful tonic to put a little more 
color into those poor little cheeks. Kindly per- 
mit me to feel your pulse.” 

And so saying the General bent from his 
saddle and courteously took the little Marion- 
ette’s hand. Then, looking much alarmed, 
Galloping, galloping /” he exclaimed, “I must 
do likewise, and order you a tonic at the nearest 
chemist’s without delay.” 

And putting spurs into his horse he rode 
away hurriedly. 

All that won’t do me any good,” said the 
little Marionette aloud. “ I don’t want that.” 


4 





i68 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND . 


“ What do I want?” she sighed. 

“A jest, my good creature,” said a voice 
near her, and looking up she saw the Clown 
with his hands in his pockets dancing a double- 
shuffle in front of her. 

"A jest,” he repeated. Then as he danced 
and shook the bells on his cap, he chanted in 
time to the movement of his feet — 

“ Broken nose and crooked eyes, 

Broken heart and mournful sighs, — 

Life’s a jest for a’ that.” 

“No, it isn’t; not to me,” answered the 
little Marionette very sadly. 

“It will be, by and by,” he said cheerfully. 

“No; not to me,” she repeated. 

The Clown looked at her with sympathy. 

“Shall I tell you a good story?” he asked. 
“Quite one of my best?” 

“You are very kind,” said the little Mar- 
ionette. “ I think, though, I would rather hear 
it another time, if you do not mind.” 

“Not at all,” answered the Clown as he 


THE LAST PERFORMANCE, 


169 


danced away, jingling his bells as he went. 
“/ don’t mind, I’m not easily hurt. But take 



my advice, if the situation is not a jest in itself 
make a jest dove-tail into the situation. Good- 
bye, my little friend. Cheer up.” 


170 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


“ Cheer up !” repeated the little lady. “ But 
it is not easy. I shall have to wait until the 
half-hour is over before I can do that.” 

After this she lay on the counter quietly, 
without taking notice of anything or anyone. 
And the other Toys, seeing she wished to be 
left to herself, did not disturb her. 

By and by, the time when the Toys are able 
to talk and move about passed by, and they all 
became still once more: just as you are accus- 
tomed to see them. And people passed in and 
out, and to and fro, but the little lady Marion- 
ette lay unobserved — alone and unhappy in 
her corner of the counter. 

“The half-hour is very long,” she said. 
“Will it ever end? My heart is very heavy 

The little Marionette made a long pause. 

“ Goon, if you please,” said the little girl. 

But the little lady remained silent. 

“Do go on,” repeated her small friend. 

Yet she never answered. 





72 


ADVENTURES IN TOVLAND . 


shining upon the little lady’s glass eyes ? Glass 
eyes shine very easily, it is true. Still, suppos- 
ing she were crying and wanted to be com- 
forted ? She would ask her. 

“You are not crying, dear, are you?” said 
the little girl. 

The little Marionette gave a great sigh. 

“ Perhaps,” she replied gently. 

“ What is it about?” asked the little girl 
with much sympathy. 

Then all at once she understood. 

“I believe,” she exclaimed, “you have been 
telling me a story about yourself! It all hap- 
pened to you to-day, while I was away, didn’t it?” 

The little lady rubbed two tiny wax hands 
across her two glass eyes. “You have guessed 
rightly,” she said in a little faltering voice. 

“ Oh, I am sorry!” said her little friend with 
great sympathy. “ I have been out all the after- 
noon, so I never heard Auntie say she was 
going to send you and your partner away from 
each other. And fancy his going away and 


THE LAST PERFORMANCE. 


1 73 


leaving you as he did ! You poor little thing, 
how I wish I could do something to make you 
happier ! 

Molly thought a moment. “ I know!” she 
exclaimed ; “ you shall belong to me, my dear. 
I shall ask Auntie to give you to me, and you 
shall be my very own dolly !” 

“Come with me, darling,” she continued, 
hugging the little Marionette tightly, “ and I 
will sing you to sleep in Auntie’s big rocking- 
chair. I will make up a nice song all by my- 
self and all about you. You will see then how 
much I love you, and you won’t cry any more. 
When you wake up you will feel happier 
again.” 

And going into the room at the back of the 
shop, she drew a rocking-chair near the cheer- 
ful blaze of the bright fire and sat down, still 
clasping the little Marionette in her arms. 

At first she rocked to and fro silently, and 
with a thoughtful expression. Presently she 
gave a sudden jerk to the rocking-chair, and 


174 


ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


sung in a shrill sweet voice, and with some 
energy — 

“ Lulla by, little dolly, lullaby, lulla by, 

Your poor nose is broken, your eyes are awry, 

But I’ll love you and kiss you, so you must just try 
Not to cry, little dolly, — lullaby, lullaby.” 

“ Lullaby,” she said more gently, and kissed 
her fondly. Then she began afresh, but more 
softly and soothingly — 

“ Lullaby, little dolly, lullaby, lullaby, 

You know- you are ugly and rather a guy, 

But my arms are around you, so why should you sigh ? 
Just you sleep, little dolly, — lullaby, lullaby.” 

“ Lullaby,” she whispered, and kissed her 
again very tenderly. 

“ This is not poetry, only rhyme, and not 
very flattering rhyme either,” murmured the 
little Marionette. “But if it is not poetry it is 
love. . . . And it brings comfort to my sore 
heart, which the reasoning, and the doctoring, 
and the jesting could not do. . . 


7 HE LAST PERFORMANCE. 


175 


She whispered something more, but very 

UL j 

- loj 



weakly. Her power of talking to a Mortal 


176 


A D VENTURES IN TOYLAND. 


had all but left her, and the child had to put 
her head quite close to the little lady so as to 
be able to catch what she said. 

“Let me always stay with you,” the little 
Marionette just managed to whisper. 

“Always, dear,” said her little friend. 

And then the little lady fell asleep quite 
happily. That at least was what the little girl 
thought. And if she thought so we might as 
well think the same. 

“You want me to give you that little Mar- 
ionette?” said the owner of the toy-shop to the 
little girl that same evening. “Very well, 
Molly, you shall have her.” 

“Oh, thank you, Auntie!” replied her little 
neice with much gratitude. 

“There is not very much to thank me for,” 
remarked her aunt. “ She is not worth any- 
thing now. I can’t imagine,” she added, “ how 
it is that she has got so knocked about.” 

Now the little girl had no need to imagine 


THE LAST PERFORMANCE. 


1 77 


it, for she knew. But she kept her knowledge 
to herself, fearing that if she told her Aunt 
what had happened she would be laughed at 
as a fanciful child. 

But we should not have laughed at her, — 
should we ? There would have been no fancy 
about the matter for us. For we know that 
the Toy World is a very real World indeed! 



I ? — Toylund 






















































































ALTEMUS’ 


Young People’s Library. 


Price, 50 Cents Each. 


ROBINSON CRUSOE : His Life and Strange Surprising 
Adventures. With 70 beautiful illustrations .by Walter 
Paget. Arranged for young readers. 

“There exists no work, either of instruction or entertainment, 
which has been more generally read, and universally admired.” 
— Walter Scott. 

ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND. With 42 
illustrations by John Tenniel. 

“ This is Carroll’s immortal story.” — Athenceu?ti. 

“ The most delightful of children’s stories. Elegant and deli- 
cious nonsense .” — Saturday Review. 

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS AND WHAT 
ALICE FOUND THERE. (A companion to Alice in 
Wonderland.) With 50 illustrations by John Tenniel. 

“ Not a whit inferior to its predecessor in grand extravagance of 
imagination, and delicious allegorical nonsense.” — Quarterly 
Review . 

BUNYAN’S PILGRIM’S PROGRESS. With 50 full-page 
and text illustrations. 

Pilgrim’s Progress is the most popular story book in the 
world. With the exception of the Bible it has been translated into 
more languages than any other book ever printed. 

A CHILD’S STORY OF THE BIBLE. With 72 full-page 
illustrations. 

Tells in simple language and in a form fitted for the hands of 
the younger members of the Christian flock, the tale of God’s 
dealings with his Chostn People under the Old Dispensation, 
with its foreshadowings of the coming of that Messiah who was 
to make all mankind one fold under one Shepherd. 


2 


ALTEMUS* YOUNG PEOPLE’S LIBRARY. 


A CHILD’S LIFE OF CHRIST. With 49 illustrations. 

God has implanted in the infant’s heart a desire to hear of Jesus, 
and children are early attracted and sweetly riveted by the won- 
derful Story of the Master from the Manger to the Throne. 

In this little book we have brought together from Scripture every 
incident, expression and description within the verge of their com- 
prehension, in the effort to weave them into a memorial garland of 
their Saviour. 

THE FABLES OF JESOF. Compiled from the best ac- 
cepted sources. With 62 illustrations. 

The fables of Tisop are among the very earliest compositions of 
this kind, and probably have never been surpassed for point and 
brevity, as well as for the practical good sense they display. In 
their grotesque grace, in their quaint humor, in their trust in the 
simpler virtues, in their insight into the cruder vices, in their inno- 
cence of the fact of sex, ./Esop’s Fables are as little children— and 
for that reason will ever find a home in the heaven of little chil- 
dren’s souls. 

THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, or the Adventures of 
a Shipwrecked Family on an Uninhabited Island. With 
50 illustrations. 

A remarkable tale of adventure that will interest the boys and 
girls. The father of the family tells the tale and the vicissitudes 
through which he and his wife and children pass, the wonderful 
discoveries they make, and the dangers they encounter. It is a 
standard work of adventure that has the favor of all who have 
read it. 

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS AND THE DISCOVERY 
OF AMERICA. With 70 illustrations. 

It is the duty of every American lad to know the story of Chris- 
topher Columbus. In this book is depicted the story of his life 
and struggles ; of his persistent solicitations at the courts of Eu 
rope, and his contemptuous receptions by the learned Geographical 
Councils, until his final employment by Queen Isabella. Records 
the day-by-day journey ings while he was pursuing his aim and his 
perilous way over the shoreless ocean, until he “gave to Spain a 
New World.” Shows his progress through Spain on the occasion 
of his first return, when he was received with rapturous demon- 
strations and more than regal homage. His displacement by the 


ALTEMUS* YOUNG PEOPLE’S LIBRARY. 


3 


Odjeas, Ovandos and Bobadilas ; his last return in chains, and the 
story of his death in poverty and neglect. 

THE STORY OF EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY 
IN AFRICA. With 80 illustrations. 

Records the adventures, privations, sufferings, trials, dangers 
and discoveries in developing the “Dark Continent,” from the 
early days of Bruce and Mungo Park down to Livingstone and 
Stanley and the heroes of our own times. 

The reader becomes carried away by conflicting emotions of 
wonder and sympathy, and feels compelled to pursue the st ry, 
which he cannot lay down. No present can be more acceptable 
than such a volume as this, where courage, intrepidity, resource 
and devotion are so pleasantly mingled. It is very fully illustra- 
te i with pictures worthy of the book. 

GULLIVER’S TRAVELS INTO SOME REMOTE RE- 
GIONS OF THE WORLD. With 50 illustrations. 

In description, even of the most common place things, his power 
is often perfectly marvellous Macau'ay says of Swift: “ Under 
a plain garb and ungainly deportment were concealed some of the 
choicest gifts that ever have been bestowed on any of the children 
of men — rare powers of observation, brilliant art, grotesque inven- 
tion, humor of the mo-t austere flavor, yet exquisitely delicious, 
eloquence singularly pure, manly and perspicuous.” 

MOTHER GOOSE’S RHYMES, JINGLES AND FAIRY 
TALES. With 300 illustrations. 

“ In this edition an excellent choice has been made from the 
standard fiction of the little ones. The abundant pictures are well- 
drawn and graceful, the effect frequently striking and always deco- 
rative.” — Critic. 

“Only to see the book is to wish to give it to every child one 
knows.” — Queen. 

LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED 
STATES. Compiled from authoritative sources. With 
portraits of the Presidents ; and also of the unsuccessful 
candidates for the office; as well as the ablest of the 
Cabinet officers. 

This book should be in every home and school library. It tells, 
in an impartial way, the story of the political history of the United 
States, from the first Consiitudonal convention to the last Presi- 


4 


ALTEMUS’ YOUNG PEOPLE’S LIBRARY. 


dential nominations, it is just the book for intelligent boys, and it 
will help to make them intelligent and patriotic citizens. 

THE STORY OF ADVENTURE IN THE FROZEN 
SEA. With 70 illustrations. Compiled from authorized 
sources. 

We here have brought together the records of the attempts to 
reach the North Pole. Our object being to recall the stories of the 
early voyagers, and to narrate the recent efforts of gallant adven- 
turers of various nationalities to cross the “ unknown and inacces- 
ible ” threshold ; and to show how much can be accomplished by 
indomitable pluck and steady perseverance. Portraits and numer- 
ous illustrations help the narration. 

ILLUSTRATED NATURAL HISTORY. By the Rev. 
J. G. Wood. With 80 illustrations. 

Wood’s Natural History needs no commendation. Its author 
has done more than any other writer to popularize the study. His 
work is known and admired overall the civilized world. The sales 
of his worls; in England and America have been enormous. The 
illustrations in this edition are entirely new, striking and life-like. 

A CHILD’S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. By Charles 
Dickens. With 50 illustrations. 

Dickens grew tired of listening to his children memorizing the 
old fashioned twaddle that went under the name of English his- 
tory. He thereupon wrote a book, in his own peculiarly happy 
style, primarily for the educational advantage of his own children, 
but was prevailed upon to publish the work, and make its use gen- 
eral. Its success was instantaneous and abiding. 

BLACK BEAUTY ; The Autobiography of a Horse. By 
Anna Sewell. With 50 illustrations. 

This NEW illustrated edition is sure to command attention. 
Wherever children are, whether boys or girls, there this Autobiog- 
raphy should be. It inculcates habits of kindness to all members 
of the animal creation. The literary merit of the book is excellent. 

THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS. With 
50 illustrations. Contains the most favorably known of 
the stories. 

The text is somewhat abridged and edited for the young. It 
forms an excellent introduction to those immortal tales which have 
helped so long to keep the weary world young. 


ALTEMUS* YOUNG PEOPLE’S LIBRARY. 


5 


ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES. By Hans Christian An- 
dersen. With 77 illustrations. 

The spirit of high moral teaching, and the delicacy of sentiment, 
feeling and expression that pervade these tales make these won- 
derful creations not only attractive to the young, but equally accept- 
able to those of mature years, who are able to understand their 
real significance and appreciate the depth of their meaning. 

GRIMM’S FAIRY TALES. With 50 illustrations. 

These tales of the Brothers Grimm have carried their names into 
every household of the cidlized world. 

The Tales are a wonderful collection, as interesting, from a lit- 
erary point of view, as they are delightful as stories. 

GRANDFATHER’S CHAIR; A History for Youth. By 
Nathaniel Hawthorne. With 60 illustrations. 

The story of America from the landing of the Puritans to the 
acknowledgment without reserve of the Independence of the 
United States, told with all the elegance, simplicity, grace, clear- 
ness and force for which Hawthorne is conspicuously noted. 

FLOWER FABLES. By Louisa May Alcott. With colored 
and plain illustrations. 

A series of very interesting fairy tales by the most charming of 
American story-tellers. 

AUNT MARTHA’S CORNER CUPBOARD. By Mary 
and Elizabeth Kirby. With 60 illustrations. 

Stories about Tea, Coffee, Sugar, Rice and Chinaware, and 
other accessories of the well-kept Cupboard. A book full of in- 
terest for all the girls and many of the boys. 

WATER-BABIES; A Fairy Tale for a Land-Baby. By 
Charles Kingsley. With 94 illustrations. 

“ Come read me my riddle, each good little man ; 

If you cannot read it, no grown-up folk can.” 

BATTLES OF THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE. By 
Prescott Holmes. With 70 illustrations. 

A graphic and full history of the Rebellion of the American Col- 
onies from the yoke and oppression of England, with the causes 


6 


ALTEMUS’ YOUNG PEOPLE’S LIBRARY. 


that led thereto, and including an account of the second war with 
Great Britain, and the War with Mexico. 

BATTLES OF THE WAR FOR THE UNION. By 
Prescott Holmes. With 80 illustrations. 

A correct and impartial account of the greatest civil war in th- 
annals of history. Both of these histories of American wars rr 
a necessary part of the education of all intelligent American boy - 
and girls. 

YOUNG PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF THE WAR WITH 
SPAIN. By Prescott Holmes. With 89 illustrations. 

This history of our war with Spain, in 1898, presents in a plain, 
easy style the splendid achievements of our army and navy, and 
the prominent figures that came into the public view during that 
period. Its glowing descriptions, wealth of anecdote, accuracy « f 
statement and profusion of illustration make it a most desirable 
gift book for young readers. 

HEROES OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY. By 
Hartwell James. With 65 illustrations. 

The story of our navy is one of the most brilliant pages in the 
w .rld’s history. The sketches and exploits contained in this vol- 
ume cover our entire naval history from the days of the honest, 
rough sailors of Revolutionary times, with their cutlasses and 
boarding pikes, to the brief war of 1898, when our superbly ap- 
pointed warships destroyed Spain’s proud cruisers by the merci 
less accuracy of their fire. 

MILITARY HEROES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
By Hartwell James. With 97 illustrations. 

In this volume the brave lives and heroic deeds of our military 
heroes, from Paul Revere to Lawton, are told in the most captiva- 
ting manner. The material for the work has been gathered from 
the North and the South alike. The volume presents all the im- 
portant f icts in a manner enabling the young people of our united 
and prosperous land to easily become familiar with the command- 
ing figures that have arisen in our military history. 

UNCLE TOM’S CABIN; or Life Among the Lowly. By 
Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe. With 90 illustrations. 


ALTEMUS’ YOUNG PEOPLE’S LIBRARY. 


7 


The unfailing interest in the famous old story suggested the need 
of an edition specially prepared for young readers, and elaborately 
illustrated. This edition completely fills that want. 

SEA KINGS AND NAVAL HEROES. By Hartwell 
James. With 50 illustrations. 

The mo't famous sea battles of the world, with sketches of the 
lives, enterprises and achievements of men who have become fam- 
ous in naval history. They are stories of brave lives in times of 
trial and danger, charmingly told for young people. 

POOR BOYS’ CHANCES. By John Habberton. With 
50 illustrations. 

There is a fascination about the writings of the author of 
“ Helen’s Babies,” from which none can escape. In this charm- 
ing volume, Mr. Habberton tells the boys of America how they 
can attain the highest positions in the land, without the struggles 
and privations endured by poor boys who rose to eminence and 
fame in former times. 

ROMULUS, the Founder of Rome. By Jacob Abbott. 
With 49 illustrations. 

In a plain and connected narrative, the author tells the stories 
of the founder of Rome and his great ancestor, Ameas. These 
are of necessity somewhat legendary in character, but are pre- 
sented precisely as they have come down to us from ancient times. 
They are prefaced by an account of the life and inventions of Cad- 
mus, the “ Father of the Alphabet,” as he is often called. 

CYRUS THE GREAT, the Founder of the Persian Empire. 
By Jacob Abbott. With 40 illustrations. 

For nineteen hundred years, the story of the founder of the an- 
cient Persian empire has been read by every generation of man- 
kind. The story of the life and actions of Cyrus, as told by the 
author, presents viv'd pictures of the magnificence of a monarchy 
that rose about five hundred years before the Christian era, and 
rolled on in undisturbed magnitude and glory for many centuries. 

ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND. By Edith King Hull. 
With 70 illustrations by Alice B. Woodward. 

The sayings and doings of the dwellers in toyland, related by 
one of them to a dear little girl. It is a delightful book for chil- 
dren, and admirably illustrated. 


8 


ALTEMUS’ YOUNG PEOPLE’S LIBRARY. 


DARIUS THE GREAT, King of the Medes and Persians. 
By Jacob Abbott. With 34 illustrations. 

No great exploits marked the career of this monarch, who was 
at one time the absolute sovereign of nearly one-half of the world. 
He reached his high position by a stratagem, and left behind him 
no strong impressions of personal character, yet, the history of his 
life and reign should be read along with those of Cyrus, Caesar, 
Hannibal and Alexander. 

XERXES THE GREAT, King of Persia. By Jacob Ab- 
bott. With 39 illustrations. 

For ages the name of Xerxes has been associated in the minds 
of men with the idea of the highest attainable human magnificence 
and grandeur. He was the sovereign of the ancient Persian em- 
pire at the height of its prosperity and power. The invasion of 
Greece by the Persian hordes, the battle of Thermopylse, the burn- 
ing of Athens, and the defeat of the Persian galleys at Salamis are 
chapters of thrilling interest. 

THE ADVENTURES OF A BROWNIE. By Miss 
Mulock, author of John Halifax, Gentleman, etc. With 
18 illustrations. 

One of the best of Miss Murlock’s charming stories for children. 
All the situations are amusing and are sure to please youthful 
readers. 

ALEXANDER THE GREAT, King of Macedon. By 
Jacob Abbott. With 51 illustrations. 

Born heir to the throne of Macedon, a country on the confines 
of Europe and Asia, Alexander crowded into a brief career of 
twelve years a brilliant series of exploits. The readers of to-day 
will find pleasure and profit in the history of Alexander the Great, 
a potentate before whom ambassadors and princes from nearly all 
the nations of the earth bowed in humility. 

PYRRHUS, King of Epirus. By Jacob Abbott. With 45 
illustrations. 

The story of Pyrrhus is one of the ancient narratives which has 
been told and retold for many centuries in the literature, eloquence 
and poetry of all civilized nations. While possessed of extraordi- 
nary ability as a military leader, Pyrrhus actually accomplished 
nothing, but did mischief on a gigantic scale. He was naturally 


ALTEMUS’ YOUNG PEOPLE’S LIBRARY. 


9 


of a noble and generous spirit, but only succeded in perpetrating 
crimes against the peace and welfare of mankind. 

HANNIBAL, the Carthaginian. By Jacob Abbott. With 
37 illustrations. 

Hannibal’s distinction as a warrior was gained during the des- 
perate contests between Rome and Carthage, known as the Punic 
wars. Entering the scene when his country was engaged in peace- 
ful traffic with the various countries of the known world, he turned 
its energies into military aggression, conquest and war, becoming 
himself one of the greatest military heroes the world has ever 
known. 

MIXED PICKLES. By Mrs. E. M. Field. With 31 illus- 
trations by T. Pym. 

A remarkably entertaining story for young people. The reader 
is introduced to a charming little girl whose mishaps while trying 
to do good are very appropriately termed “ Mixed Pickles.’ ’ 

JULIUS CtLSAR, the Roman Conqueror. By Jacob Ab- 
bott. With 44 illustrations. 

The life and actions of Julius Caesar embrace a period in Roman 
history beginning with the civil wars of Marius and Sylla and end- 
ing with the tragic death of Caesar Imperator. The work is an 
accurate historical account of the life and times of one of the great 
military figures in history, in fact, it is history itself, and as such is 
especially commended to the readers of the present generation. 

ALFRED THE GREAT, of England. By Jacob Abbott. 
With 40 illustrations. 

In a certain sense, Alfred appears in history as the founder of 
the British monarchy : his predecessors having governed more like 
savage chieftains than English kings. The work has a special 
value for young readers, for the character of Alfred was that of an 
honest, conscientious and far-seeing statesman. The romantic 
story of Godwin furnishes the concluding chapter of the volume. 

WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR, of England. By Jacob 
Abbott. With 43 illustrations. 

The life and times of William of Normandy have always been a 
fruitful theme for the historian. War and pillage and conquest 
were at least a part of the everyday business of men in both Eng- 


IO 


ALTEMUS’ YOUNG PEOPLE’S LIBRARY. 


land and France : and the story of William as told by the author 
of this volume makes some of the most fascinating pages in his- 
tory. It is especially delightful to young readers. 

HERNANDO CORTEZ, the Conqueror of Mexico. By 
Jacob Abbott. With 30 illustrations. 

In this volume the author gives vivid pictures of the wild and 
adventurous career of Cortez and his companions in the conquest 
of Mexico. Many good motives were united with those of ques- 
tionable character, in the prosecution of his enterprise, but in 
those days it was a matter of national ambition to enlarge the 
boundaries of nations and to extend their commerce at any cost. 
The career of Cortez is one of absorbing interest. 

THE LITTLE LAME PRINCE. By Miss Mulock. With 
24 illustrations. 

The author styles it “A Parable for Old and Young.” It is in her 
• happiest vein and delightfully interesting, especially to youthful 
readers. 

MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS. By Jacob Abbott. With 
45 illustrations. 

The story of Mary Stuart holds a prominent place in the present 
series of historical narrations. It has had many tellings, for the 
melancholy story of the unfortunate queen has always held a high 
place: in the estimation of successive generations of readers. Her 
story is full of romance and pathos, and the reader is carried along 
by conflicting emotions of wonder and sympathy. 

QUEEN ELIZABETH, of England. By Jacob Abbott. 
With 49 illustrations. 

In strong contrast to the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, is that 
of Elizabeth, Queen of England. They were cousins, yet im- 
placable foes. Elizabeth’s reign was in many ways a glorious ore, 
and her successes gained her the applause of the world. The 
stirring tales of Drake, Hawkins and other famous mariners of 
her lime have been incorporated into the story of Elizabeth’s life 
and reign. 

KING CHARLES THE FIRST, of England. By Jacob 
Abbott. With 41 illustrations. 

The well-known figures in the stormy reign of Charles I. are 
brought forward in this narrative of his life and times. It is his- 
tory told in the most fascinating manner, and embraces the early 


ALTEMUS* YOUNG PEOPLE'S LIBRARY. 


II 


life of Charles ; the court of James I. ; struggles between Charles 
and the Parliament ; the Civil war ; the trial and execution of the 
king. The narrative is impartial and holds the attention of the 
reader. 

KING CHARLES THE SECOND, of England. By Jacob 
Abbott. With 38 illustrations. 

Beginning with his infancy, the life of the “ Merry Monarch ” 
is related in the author’s inimitable style. His reign was signal- 
ized by many disastrous events, besides those that related to his 
personal troubles and embarrassments. There were unfortunate 
wars ; naval defeats ; dangerous and disgraceful plots and con- 
spiracies. Trobule sat very lightly on the shoulders of Charles II., 
however, and the cares of state were easily forgotten in the society 
of his court and dogs. 

THE SLEEPY KING*. By Aubrey Hopvvood and Seymour 
Hicks. With 77 illustrations by Maud Trelawney. 

A charmingly-told Fairy Tale, full of delight and entertain- 
ment. The illustrations are original and striking, adding greatly 
to the interest of the text. 

MARIA ANTOINETTE, Queen of France. By John S. C. 
Abbott. With 42 illustrations. 

The tragedy of Maria Antoinette is one of the most mournful in 
the history of the world. “ Her beauty dazzled the whole king- 
dom,” says Lamartine. Her lofty and unbending spirit under 
unspeakable indignities and atrocities, enlists and holds the sympa- 
thies of the readers of to-day, as it has done in the past. 

MADAME ROLAND, A Heroine of the French Revolution. 
By Jacob Abbott. With 42 illustrations. 

The French Revolution developed few, if any characters more 
worthy of notice than that of Madame Roland. The absence of 
playmates, in her youth, inspired her with an insatiate thirst for 
knowledge, and books became her constant companions in every 
unoccupied hour. She fell a martyr to the tyrants of the French 
Revolution, but left behind her a career full of instruction that 
never fails to impress itself upon the reader. 

JOSEPHINE, Empress of France. By Jacob Abbott. With 
40 illustrations. 


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ALTEMUS’ YOUNG PEOPLE’S LIBRARY. 


Maria Antoinette beheld the dawn of the French Revolulion ; 
Madame Roland perished under the lurid glare of its high noon ; 
Josephine saw it fade into darkness. She has been called the 
“ Star of Napoleon ; ” and it is certain that she added luster to 
his brilliance, and that her persuasive influence was often exerted 
to win a friend or disarm an adversary. The lives of the Empress 
Josephine, of Maria Antoinette, and of Madame Roland are 
especially commended to young lady readers. 

TALES FROM SHAKESPEARE. By Charles and Mary 
Lamb. With 80 illustrations. 

The text is somewhat abridged and edited for young people, but 
a clear and definite outline of each play is presented. Such episodes 
or incidental sketches of character as are not absolutely necessary 
to the development of the tales are omitted, while the many moral 
lessons that lie in Shakespeare’s plays and make them valuable in 
the training of the young are retained. The book is winning, help- 
ful and an effectual guide to the “inner shrine” of the great 
dramatist. 

MAKERS OF AMERICA. By Hartwell James. With 75 
illustrations. 

This volume contains attractive and suggestive sketches of th' 
lives and deeds of men who illustrated some special phase in Hie 
political, religious or social life of our country, from its settlement 
to the close of the eighteenth century. It affords an opportunity 
for young readers to become easily familiar with these characters 
and their historical relations to the building of our Republic. An 
account of the discovery of America prefaces the work. 

A WONDER BOOK FOR BOYS AND GIRLS. By 
Nathaniel Hawthorne. With 50 illustrations. 

In this volume the genius of Hawthorne has shaped anew 
wonder tales that have been hallowed by an antiquity of two or 
three thousand years. Seeming “ never to have been made ” they 
are legitimate subjects for every age to clothe with its own fancy 
as to manners and sentiment, and its own views of morality. The 
volume has a charm for old and young alike, for the author has 
not thought it necessary to “ write downward” in order to meet 
the comprehension of children. 


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